Lemon Pasta

Lemon pasta is a quick and simple pasta dish similar to the famous Italian aglio olio, but with the addition of lemon zest and lemon juice to make a zesty lemon sauce.

The combination of those simple ingredients - the lemon juice and zest, the olive oil, the garlic, and the chili flakes - creates a meal that is simple but incredibly delicious and satisfying.

You can serve the lemon pasta as is, folding in some freshly grated parmesan cheese, or add spinach for color, flavor, and improved nutrition.

If you want something easy to cook at home, fresh, and delicious, then you'll love this lemon pasta recipe.

Pasta

Like its big sister, aglio olio, and cousin, cacio e pepe, lemon pasta is best with long-shaped pasta like spaghetti, linguine, bavette, fettuccine, tagliatelle, and angel hair pasta.

Lemon

You'll need both the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Organic lemons are preferable since we are eating the zest. We recommend always going for fresh lemon juice instead of bottled lemon juice.

Remember to save some lemon zest to garnish the pasta.

Tip: Only zest the yellow peel of the lemon, the white pith can be bitter.

Olive oil

If you can, choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil. The quality of the ingredients in this simple lemon pasta recipe makes all the difference.

Garlic

Fresh garlic adds plenty of flavor and tang. You can grate, mince, or mash it with a garlic crusher.

Red pepper flakes

You can add as many or as few red pepper flakes as you like. If you don't like overly spicy dishes, you can substitute freshly ground black pepper for red pepper flakes.

Spinach

We like to add spinach to this dish; they fit right and add a beautiful color.

You can use fresh and frozen spinach, although fresh spinach keeps its shape better.

If you don't like spinach, you can keep them out and replace them with fresh herbs, such as a sprinkle of fresh parsley or a few leaves of fresh basil.

Salt

We season the pasta, cooking water, and lemon sauce using sea salt.

Parmesan cheese

Parmigiano-reggiano or grana padano are the best cheses for this lemon garlic pasta. A sprinkle brings all the other flavors together, adding plenty of umami and flavor.

If you don't want to add cheese, you can easily keep it out. The pasta will be delicious, nevertheless. Alternatively, you can add a dairy-free parmesan alternative.

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and stir it.

Halfway through cooking, add the spinach, stir, and cook until the pasta is very al dente - that's 2 minutes less than what's written on the package instructions.

Make the lemon sauce while the pasta boils.

Tip: you'll need about 3 quarts (12 cups or 3 Liters) of water and 1 ½ tablespoons (21 grams) of salt for 12 ounces (340 grams) of pasta.

Make the sauce

To a large skillet, add the olive oil, grated garlic, grated lemon zest, and red pepper flakes.

Warm it up slowly on low heat, then let the ingredients fry gently for 30 to 60 seconds without burning the garlic.

Turn the heat off, add the lemon juice, and wait for the pasta.

Tip: Only zest the yellow peel of the lemon, the white pith can be bitter.

When the pasta is ready, save one cup of pasta water, drain the pasta and spinach and add them to the lemon sauce.

Add a ladleful of pasta cooking water and cook on medium heat, stirring often for a short minute.

Add the grated parmesan, turn the heat off, and stir for 30 more seconds until the cheese melts. Taste and adjust for salt; add more reserved pasta water if the pasta gets too dry.

Serve immediately and optionally sprinkle with parmesan cheese and grated lemon zest.

Lemon pasta is excellent as a quick lunch or a simple and easy dinner for the whole family. Try serving it with one of our delicious vegetable side dishes, such as:

• Steamed artichokes with a light mayo and salsa verde.
• Easy carrot salad with raisins and pineapple, a 5-minute side salad
• Cucumber and tomato salad with Italian vinaigrette, a refreshing green side dish!
• Brussels sprout salad is perfect for autumn and winter, a raw salad that pairs well with pasta and soups.

Creamy pasta al limone

This recipe is straight out of my grandma's recipe notebook. She would make this for my 96-year-old great-grandma when I was growing up, and I'd always manage to steal some from her plate before she would sit down to eat it for lunch at noon.

You'll love this recipe because it's easy, creamy, and so tasty you'll want to eat it every day.

Check out our creamy pasta al limone recipe.

Lemon ricotta pasta (with spinach)

Lemon ricotta pasta is a variation of pasta al limone that we always make these days.

It's a ricotta-based sauce mixed with your favorite seasonal vegetables (we love peas, spinach, and broccoli for this one).

Like our other pasta recipes, this one is super easy to make and a guaranteed-crowd pleaser.

Check out our lemon ricotta pasta recipe.

Storage

Lemon pasta is best eaten straight after it is made, but if you have some leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Reheat it in a pan with olive oil, adding water if necessary. Don't reheat it multiple times. Not suitable for freezing.

Tips

• Grate the garlic: the garlic should be sliced, minced, or grated as thin as possible so that it will melt in your mouth and its flavor won't be overpowering.
  
• Don't burn the garlic: garlic burns fast, so make sure the pan and the oil won't get too hot. Instead, fry it with gentle heat without letting it brown.
  
• Undercook the pasta: it is best to undercook it slightly (2 to 4 minutes less than indicated on the package) to finish cooking it in the pan with the sauce.
  
  This way, the pasta will release some of its starch into the sauce, making it extra creamy and delicious.
  
• Reserve pasta cooking water: pasta cooking water is full of starch. Add it to the pasta while you toss it in the pan to make the pasta creamy.

Questions

If you love quick and easy pasta meals, try one of these 15-min pasta recipes:

• Garlic and oil pasta: an easy 15-minute pasta recipe
• Restaurant-like mushroom pasta: a reader favorite and easy veggie-packed pasta
• Penne all arrabbiata: fiery Italian tomato sauce ready in just 20 minutes
• Pasta Pomodoro: a pasta recipe with just 6 ingredients and 15 minutes of cooking time
• Pasta salad with lemon vinaigrette with fresh vegetables is perfect for meal prep and lunch-box meals!
• Pasta e ceci is an authentic Italian dinner idea that your entire family will love
• Red pepper pasta with a quick and creamy 20-minute sauce
• Baked ziti pasta with plant-based meat and tomato-rich sauce

More 30-minute meals

These recipes are quick, easy, and with a few ingredients - perfect for weeknight dinners (and wholesome, too!):

• Lemon tofu served with white rice and sauteed spinach
• Chickpea salad with mustard dressing, a 20-minute quick meal
• Microwave sweet potato with toppings and homemade sauce, perfect as a last-minute dinner idea
• Easy broccoli pasta with a creamy mashed sauce, a super easy 20-minute recipe!

For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.

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