This lemon pasta recipe is bright, fresh, and ready in 20 minutes! Made with simple ingredients, it's a delicious, satisfying weeknight dinner.
This lemon pasta recipe is my take on Italian pasta al limone. It’s buttery, garlicky, and bright with citrus, and best of all, it’s super easy to make. You can whip it up in 20 minutes using under 10 ingredients. Even though this lemon pasta feels elegant, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner.
While many lemon pasta sauces call for heavy cream, I skip it here. Instead, butter, Parmesan, and starchy pasta cooking water create the pasta’s silky sauce. These simple ingredients let the fresh lemon flavor shine through.
Citrus fans, get ready—you’re going to love this pasta!
Lemon Pasta Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon pasta recipe:
- Pasta, of course! Spaghetti is my top pick. Another long pasta like linguine would work too.
- Butter – It creates the sauce’s rich base. I call for extra-virgin olive oil in most of my recipes, but I actually prefer the butter here. It gives the sauce body and helps it coat the pasta.
- Garlic – It adds savory flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – It thickens the sauce and adds salty, umami flavor. Freshly grated pecorino is a great sub if you don’t have Parmesan on hand.
- Lemon zest and juice – The star ingredients! The zest infuses the sauce with bright, citrusy flavor. The juice adds a tangy kick.
- Fresh herbs – I love to garnish this dish with parsley or basil for a fresh, aromatic finishing touch.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Lemon Pasta
This lemon spaghetti recipe is super simple to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente. In the final few minutes of cooking, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
Next, make the sauce. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning!
Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta from the pot to the skillet with the butter mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and toss until a light sauce coats the pasta. Then, add half the cheese and toss again. Finally, add the lemon juice and remaining cheese and toss until the sauce is smooth.
- Tip:Â If the lemon sauce gets too thick or starts to clump, add more pasta water as needed to loosen it.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice. Garnish with more lemon zest and fresh basil or parsley, and serve!
What to Serve with Lemon Pasta
This pasta dish pairs nicely with fresh veggies or a salad. Serve it with a side of roasted asparagus, sautéed spinach, or one of these salad recipes:
Round out the meal with crusty bread for sopping up the flavorful sauce!
Storage and Reheating
This lemon spaghetti is best just after it’s made, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce if needed.
More Favorite Pasta Recipes
If you love this lemon pasta, try one of these easy pasta recipes next:
Lemon Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into pats
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. In the final minutes of cooking, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.
- A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Heat the butter until it foams, then reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from the heat if your pasta is still cooking.
- When the pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it from the pot to the skillet with the butter mixture. Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and cook over low heat, tossing until a sauce forms and lightly coats the pasta. Add half the cheese and toss to incorporate. Add the lemon juice and remaining cheese and toss again, cooking until the sauce is smooth. If it becomes too thick or clumpy, add more pasta water as needed to loosen it. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.
- Garnish with more lemon zest and fresh parsley. Serve with more cheese.
Adapted from Serious Eats.
Any ideas for alternatives to the Parmesan cheese for those of us (like me:) are dairy free?
It sounds Great!
Thks.
Question- instead of using garlic cloves, can I use garlic powder?
Made it tonight for the family. Came together perfectly and had a delicate, sweet lemon overtone to the entire dish.
My sides were a nice oven-baked fish, spring salad, and garlic bread. Wouldn’t change a thing except maybe more cheese, but… cheese!
I served this yesterday to my family along with cesar salad, asparagus, and garlic bread. It was easy to accommodate my sister who is vegetarian& no butter, making hers first. For the rest of us I added the butter plus sous vide chicken. My mother loved it and couldn’t stop complimenting me! My daughter, who tells me she doesn’t like leftovers, took some home with her! Definitely a go-to in my book!
Hi Kath, that sounds like a fabulous meal! I’m so glad the pasta was a hit.
Oh my gosh, this is an amazing combination of flavors. I’ve never cooked with pasta water, but it made an amazing base. I also added spinach and blanched asparagus and chicken. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Veronica, yes, pasta water is such a game changer! I bet this recipe was delicious with those add-ins.
So good! Perfect pasta for summer & so easy! I’m a lemon lover and, as a purest, this is excellent as is. However, I think this would be just as good with asparagus, shrimp, or baby kale. This is a permanent addition to my summer meal rotation.
Hi Ashley, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I love the idea of those additions too.
I’m new to cooking. If I wanted to make the full 16 oz box of pasta, would I just double the ingredients?
yep!
We enjoyed this very much, even my husband, who doesn’t like lemon, said it was a keeper. Next time I think I’ll add some asparagus or spinach, or even peas – it’s too monochromatic. Other than that – very good! Thank you.
Prepared with sautéed shrimp and asparagus for lunch today. Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it!
So delicious! I made with chicken cutlets and peas ?
This was so delicious! Very quick too. Served it with a big salad.
Hi Julia, I’m so glad you loved the pasta!
My family loves this! We add shrimp. So delicious!
Hi Lynn, I’m so glad it’s a hit!
So delicious! I made it with Cajun shrimp.
Thank you.
Getta good zester Frank! Bake a tenderloin and blackened asparagus and all on the table in under 30. Nice to add some very thin sweet pepper strips to the butter, or jalapeno if you want spicy.
Another home run! Made this for my husband and I. I added sundried tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, capers, green oinions, chopped spinach, dried oregano and basil. I used gluten-free spaghetti noodles as well. Really tasty and satisfying. Adding this to our rotation for meatless Monday?
Hi Diana, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
PASTA MUY SABROSA, EL SABOR CITRICO RESALTA EN EL CONSUMO DE LA PREPARACION.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
love it and love lemon flavored everything, pasta included, simple pasta recipes are always the best, thank you