Ina Garten’s Fastest Pasta Recipe Is My New Favorite Dinner (It’s Even Quicker Than Boxed Mac)

I look forward to conquering project recipes like Artisan Sourdough and Homemade Crispy Gnocchi in Parmigiano-Reggiano Cream when I have time. Still, I’m not too proud to admit that I rely on boxed mac and cheese at least once per month to help save the day when I’m too short on time and energy to make dinner from scratch.

Once I started paying more attention to the process of how to make boxed mac and cheese, though, I experienced a big reality check. Turns out, I’m not really saving as much time as I thought. Following package instructions for the stovetop methods, it would take about 20 minutes, taking into account bringing the water to a boil (5 to 10 minutes), cooking the noodles to al dente (7 to 8 minutes), then draining and mixing in the butter, milk, and cheese (3 minutes). 

Our Test Kitchen has developed several wholesome quick and easy pasta recipes that match that time, including my go-to Cottage Cheese Alfredo. So I started to wonder, “could there be a homemade pasta recipe that’s even quicker than boxed mac and cheese?” Bonus points if it’s a bit lighter and brighter, too. Right on cue, I stumbled upon a post on Instagram nodding to Ina Garten’s 10-minute Lemon Capellini recipe, and admitting that “no joke—rates with the best pasta I have ever had.” I couldn’t wait to learn the Barefoot Contessa’s secrets.

3 Tricks to Make Ina’s Fastest Pasta Recipe in 10 Minutes Flat

Appearing on episodes of Barefoot Contessa: Modern Comfort Food and Cook Like a Pro: Weeknight Dinners, it’s clear that this easy pasta recipe is a favorite of Ina and her fans. I tracked down the recipe and learned that in addition to asking for just 10 minutes of total time, we only need 2 ingredients (lemon and pasta) plus our freebies (butter, salt, and pepper) to follow in her savvy footsteps. 

Fans who have already tried it reassure us that, “I thought it was too simple when I first saw this recipe, but I woke up the morning after craving it! What a simply delightful dish!” A few others note that getting the water to boil is the most time-intensive part. 

Here are the 3 tricks to make this pasta recipe in less time than it takes to stream 3 songs by Ina’s pal Taylor Swift:

• Choose a thin pasta. Capellini is a long, thin noodle that is thinner than spaghettini (thin spaghetti) and thicker than angel hair. Since capellini pasta is only 0.85 to 0.92 millimeters in diameter, it cooks in 3 to 4 minutes. These delicate strands reach al dente quicker than other kinds of dried noodles, including cavatappi and macaroni, which take 6 to 8 minutes. Farfalle, lasagna, and ziti can take upwards of 10 minutes. 
• Multitask. While you bring the water to boil and cook the capellini, prepare the lemon sauce in a skillet. By the time the noodles are done, all that’s left to do is use tongs to transfer the cooked capellini to the pan with the sauce, toss, and serve. 
• Let the ingredients shine. Similar to her beautifully-streamlined Lemon Chicken and Sautéed Snap Peas, this easy Ina Garten pasta recipe proves that a small amount of ingredients can make a big impact. By using both the zest and juice of the lemons, employing the salt to season the pasta water and the sauce, and relying on the starchy pasta water to loosen the lemon-butter mixture, you don’t need a fridge full of gourmet ingredients to bring this to the table. (The refrigerator is where you want to store lemons, though, if you’re hoping to max out their shelf life!)

How to Make Ina Garten’s Fastest Pasta Recipe, Lemon Capellini

Similar to a grown-up twist on buttered noodles, Ina’s Lemon Capellini recipe has convinced me that I can carve out time to create a from-scratch side dish (for about 6) or dinner (for 4 or so) in about as much time as it takes to make boxed mac and cheese—maybe even a few minutes less. If you, too, are feeling inspired to give her quick capellini recipe a go, here’s how to do so, with a few tips from my trial and fellow Ina fans.

Bring a large pot of boiling water to boil, then add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Dump in a 16-ounce box of dried capellini, and allow the noodles to cook until they’re tender but give just a hint of resistance when you take a taste test.

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet and add 1 to 2 sticks of unsalted butter, depending on how rich you’d like your sauce to taste. Once the butter is melted, stir in the zest and juice of the 2 lemons. Season with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Gently swirl the pan to mix.

When the pasta is cooked, there’s no need to drain it. Simply reach for a pair of tongs and lift the pasta out of the water, then transfer it to the sauce and toss to combine. Cook for 1 more minute, ladling in as much pasta water as you like to moisten the pasta and reach your preferred consistency.

Garnish with additional lemon zest, salt, and pepper, finish with a squeeze of lemon, and enjoy ASAP. If you happen to have fresh herbs, they would be a delightful addition. To make this a meal, consider adding cooked shrimp, drained and rinsed white beans, or shredded rotisserie chicken alongside the cooked capellini to allow everything to meld for the final minute of the sauce cook time.