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    Recipes » Main Course Recipes » Pasta

    Lemon Garlic Pasta

    Published: May 11, 2020 · Modified: Dec 11, 2020 by Marissa Stevens ·

    VegetarianQuick Meals

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    lemon garlic pasta served in a white bowl

    Lemon Garlic Pasta delivers bold, vibrant flavor with minimal effort. It's the kind of pasta dish you turn to on busy weeknights when you want a satisfying dinner on the table in 20 minutes flat.

    Think of this as a lighter, brighter version of the classic Italian pasta recipe, Pasta al Limone. Here I've swapped out heavy cream for a mixture of olive oil and butter, to add richness without dulling the vivid lemon flavor. I've also added a touch of crushed red pepper along with traditional black pepper for extra kick.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients you need for lemon Garlic pasta
    • More must try pasta dishes
    • How to Make Lemon Garlic Pasta
    • Lemon Garlic Pasta Recipe Video
    • Lemon Garlic Pasta
    • 💬 Comments

    You'll toss hot pasta in a simple lemon garlic butter sauce. A rich blend of olive oil and butter, punched up with lots of garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Then fold in fresh parsley, lemon juice and zest to add lively freshness and zing. A final shower of nutty parmesan cheese rounds everything out.

    Ingredients you need for lemon Garlic pasta

    • Dry Spaghetti Noodles: Or any long, slender dry pasta.
    • Olive Oil: Use a good, flavorful one as it's a major component of the sauce.
    • Butter: If you use unsalted butter, you'll want to add a little extra salt at the end.
    • Lemon: You'll need a whole lemon, ideally organic since you'll be using the zest.
    • Fresh Parsley: Look for a perky, bright green bunch of flat leaf (Italian) parsley.
    • Garlic: Get the freshest, plumpest head you can find. You'll be using 5 cloves of it!
    • Parmesan Cheese: Ideally Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

    For this Lemon Garlic Pasta, you want a pasta shape that's easy to slick with sauce. I've called for spaghetti, but any long, slender pasta will do nicely. Linguine or angel hair pasta (Capellini) are good options. Adding a splash of the starchy cooking water toward the end helps the sauce adhere. This serves 4 as a hearty main course or 6 as a side dish to meaty main dishes like Chicken Kabobs in the Oven, Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops, or Baked Lamb Chops. (Round out the meal with this simple Arugula Salad and Chocolate Panna Cotta or Affogato for dessert.)

    Do lemon and garlic go together?

    Lemon and garlic work beautifully together either raw or cooked! In their raw form, they go well in salad dressings, particularly when mellowed by fruity olive oil. When cooked, garlic loses its pungency and turns mild and buttery. Again, a perfect compliment to lemon's bright acidity.

    More must try pasta dishes

    • Pasta Aglio e Olio (Perfect for date night!)
    • Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Like this recipe, but embellished with succulent shrimp!)
    • Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta (One more riff on this recipe for chicken lovers!)
    • Bucatini all'Amatriciana (Another delicious classic that's easy enough for a weeknight.)
    • Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta (This is a go-to for us and is a meal on its own - no side dish required!)

    How to Make Lemon Garlic Pasta

    Step 1: Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.

    pasta boiling in water

    Step 2: For the lemon garlic butter sauce, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

    garlic and red pepper flakes cooked in olive oil and butter

    Step 3: Once pasta is cooked and drained, return skillet to medium heat. Add pasta and ¼ cup of cooking liquid; stir until heated through, adding more cooking liquid if pasta is too dry.

    tossing pasta with garlic butter sauce

    Step 4: Remove skillet from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice and zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving platter or bowl and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve.

    tossing pasta with parsley lemon juice and zest
    lemon garlic pasta served

    Lemon Garlic Pasta Recipe Video

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    lemon garlic pasta served in a white bowl

    Lemon Garlic Pasta

    Marissa Stevens
    A brightly flavored, crowd pleasing pasta tossed in a simple lemon garlic butter sauce that's ready to serve in about 20 minutes!
    4.97 from 55 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 530 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 12 ounces dried spaghetti
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 5 large garlic cloves minced
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more
    • 1 large lemon juice and zest
    • ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 2 ounces parmesan cheese freshly grated

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti until firm to the bite (al dente), about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
    • Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
    • Once you've drained the pasta, set skillet with the garlic mixture over medium heat. Add drained, cooked pasta and ¼ cup of reserved pasta water; toss to coat. Cook and stir until heated through, adding more pasta water if pasta seems too dry.
    • Remove pasta from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl or platter; top with grated parmesan cheese and serve.

    Notes

    1. Use any long, slender pasta you like for this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 530kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 17gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 288mgPotassium: 283mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 744IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword easy
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Pasta

    • Mushroom Carbonara
    • Bucatini Carbonara
    • Shrimp Carbonara
    • Garlic Butter Noodles

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen Forbes Thompson says

      August 16, 2022 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      Served this recipe with other pasta dishes for a large family gathering. We used large elbow macaroni. It was bright, fresh, and cleansing. The family wanted it again. Simple and filling.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 18, 2022 at 11:16 am

        I love to hear this, Karen!! Thanks so much for coming back to tell me.

    2. Kathy says

      August 09, 2022 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      This is such a delicious pasta dish! We make it every week now!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 09, 2022 at 12:10 pm

        Fantastic! I love to hear that, Kathy.

    3. Katie says

      August 05, 2022 at 2:41 pm

      5 stars
      I make this all the time and it is truly simple and delicious. Such a great blend of flavors. I always add lots of shrimp to make it a protein rich main course. Thanks for the great recipe!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 05, 2022 at 3:38 pm

        My pleasure, Katie! So glad you're enjoying the recipe.

    4. Roxanna says

      July 31, 2022 at 4:04 pm

      5 stars
      Really good! Flavorful and fast! Highly recommend ♥️

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 01, 2022 at 10:57 am

        So glad you enjoyed this, Roxanna!

    5. Julie says

      July 20, 2022 at 3:15 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe- just as easy and amazing as everyone describes. I added a little more lemon and zest.
      Remember to use all the reserved water, it’s necessary. I’ll include this with my favorites

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 20, 2022 at 8:19 pm

        Thanks so much, Julie! And the reserved water really does create a silky sauce.

    6. Carrie says

      July 16, 2022 at 6:05 pm

      I just made this and added sautéed sea scallops and cherry tomatoes, but before I added those to this recipe, I tasted it. This pasta is heavenly! The lemon, garlic and butter are the perfect combination of flavors that complement each other. This would be perfect on its own, or with shrimp or chicken added to it. Bravo!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 17, 2022 at 4:11 pm

        So glad you're enjoying the recipe and making it your own, Carrie!

    7. Ava Jay says

      July 11, 2022 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      This is a simple, yet most satisfying pasta dish.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 15, 2022 at 8:37 pm

        Hi Ava! So glad you're enjoying this. Thanks so much for letting me know!

    8. Torii says

      July 07, 2022 at 5:08 am

      5 stars
      Sooo delicious and so fast to put together. Definitely making this a staple around here ❤️❤️

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 07, 2022 at 8:42 am

        That's wonderful to hear, Torii!

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