I recently tried Danny Kaye’s famous lemon pasta recipe, and oh my goodness, it was such a delight. The sauce is so velvety and comforting, but then that zing of fresh lemon cuts through and makes it feel light and bright at the same time. A fantastic fusion for certain! It’s elegant, simple, and timeless…which is exactly my kind of cooking. Honestly, this is one of those recipes you’ll want to tuck away and make again and again, especially when you want something that feels special without being fussy. I would list it as “comfort food” for sure.
Danny Kaye’s Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 pound fresh fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large covered pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan on low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the cream and heat gently. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, then turn off the heat.
When the water boils, cook the pasta until al dente (2–3 minutes for fresh pasta, longer for dried). Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water and drain the pasta.
Place the hot drained pasta in a large serving bowl, add the lemon cream sauce, and toss.
If the sauce is too thick, add some or all of the reserved pasta water.
Toss in the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Part of what makes this dish so special to me is knowing it came from Danny Kaye himself. Many people remember him for his films and that irresistible charm, but what some don’t know is that Danny was also an incredibly passionate cook. In fact, he had an entire Chinese kitchen built in his Beverly Hills home, fully equipped with restaurant-grade tools. He loved learning techniques from chefs around the world, and he’d cook everything from elaborate Chinese feasts to simple, comforting dishes like this pasta. Cooking was another stage for him—one where he could entertain, teach, and bring people together with joy and flavor.
A Little Bit About Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye (1911–1987) has always been one of my absolute favorites since I discovered him back in 2006 at the age of eleven. To me, he was a true genius. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He could make you laugh until your sides hurt, then turn around and dance with such grace and charm it took your breath away. His films, from White Christmas to The Secret The Court Jester, never fail to lift my spirits, and his physical comedy still feels fresh even today. Beyond the screen, he was a humanitarian, the very first UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he was a licensed pilot, and he even had this unexpected passion for cooking that I just adore because I can relate to that.
I think what makes Danny so special to me is that combination of brilliance and warmth. You could feel the joy radiating from him in everything he did. Whether he was making audiences laugh, singing with that beautiful voice, or whipping something up in his famous kitchen, Danny Kaye just had a way of making life brighter. ✨
Thank you for reading! Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think!