Creamy Tomato Spaghetti With Preserved Lemon
Published June 3, 2025
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- ½medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, minced or crushed in a garlic press
- 5tablespoons tomato paste
- ½preserved lemon, seeded and minced (about 2 tablespoons), plus more to taste
- 2teaspoons honey, plus more to taste
- 1cup heavy cream
- 1pound spaghetti (or other long pasta)
- Finely grated Parmesan (optional), for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
500 calories; 22 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 355 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place a large pot of water over high heat, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan or pot over medium-low. Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of the minced preserved lemon, the honey, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Mix in the cream, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more preserved lemon, honey and salt as necessary. Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid to keep the sauce warm.
- Step 4
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until almost al dente according to the package instructions, 6 to 7 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain pasta.
- Step 5
Over medium-low heat, add the spaghetti to the sauce along with ½ cup of the reserved cooking water, and toss to coat. Continue to toss until the spaghetti is al dente, adding more cooking water as needed to achieve a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 6
Serve warm, topped with Parmesan if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
For some reason, people seem to want to change a recipe as written. This is perfect just the way it is -- really delicious !
Really fantastic! Made almost as written but doubled the amount of garlic and salted the pasta water way more than what was called for. I ended up using all of the minced lemon and found myself wishing that I had added even more
Delicious and easy! I used a whole 6oz can of tomato paste instead of just 5T and it turned out fabulous. I found it needed a touch more honey.
Made this twice now. It's perfect as-is, but for my meat-eater son I added mild Italian sausage. It's rich for sure, but so easy and fast, why not?
This was simple and absolutely delicious! Like some other commentators, I used the whole preserved lemon and would probably use more the next time I make this. The preserved lemon, IMO, makes the dish, so don't leave it out. I also added a coarsely chopped tomato from my garden because I had some on hand. If you wanted to add some protein, I could see shrimp or sausage going well with this dish. But, honestly, the dish is great as is.
Very simple preparation with incredible depth of flavor. Next time, I will not be lazy with the onion and will take the time to very finely chop it (as the receipt notes) so that the sauce is smoother with a more uniform in texture.