• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pinch and Swirl
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Collections
  • About
  • Free Recipe EBook
  • My Saved Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Collections
  • About
  • Free Recipe EBook
  • My Saved Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Recipes » Main Course Recipes » Pasta

    Lemon Garlic Pasta

    Published: May 11, 2020 · Modified: Dec 11, 2020 by Marissa Stevens · 123 Comments

    VegetarianQuick Meals

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    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

    SUBSCRIBE TO VIDEOS

    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!
    4.96 from 48 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.
    « Smoked Salmon Salad with Farro & Goat Cheese
    Arugula Salad »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Jennifer says

      November 17, 2021 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      Made tonight to accompany leftover Chinese 5-spice chicken drumsticks. My foodie teenage son can’t stop eating. Two thumbs up, will add into dinner rotation- thank you!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        November 18, 2021 at 8:42 am

        So glad this was a hit with you and your son, Jennifer! Very sweet of you to come back and let me know.

        Reply
    2. Marilyn Velez says

      November 16, 2021 at 3:13 pm

      Just made this tonight, I accompanied it with light fish and sauted broccoli. Everything was delicious.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        November 17, 2021 at 8:32 am

        Sounds like a wonderful combination, Marilyn! So glad you're enjoying the recipe.

        Reply
    3. Linda says

      November 11, 2021 at 5:59 am

      What would the recipe be using 16 oz of pasta ?

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        November 11, 2021 at 11:34 am

        Hi Linda! I'd increase the olive oil to 4 tablespoons and the butter to 2 1/2 tablespoons, add an additional clove of garlic and up to an additional 1/2 lemon and up to a total of 1/2 cup parsley. You may want to increase the parmesan to 2 1/2 ounces as well. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Reece Khurana says

      November 08, 2021 at 5:10 am

      5 stars
      Made this recipe for my mum and i for her birthday lunch and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY!!! I made 2 changes though, added some lightly seasoned boneless chicken tossed in herbs and butter, and added a 2 tablespoons of sugar.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        November 08, 2021 at 7:33 am

        So glad you enjoyed it and made it your own, Reece!

        Reply
    5. PhillyCook says

      October 24, 2021 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      Delicious and easy! We added fresh tomatoes and chicken/mushroom sausage. Loved it and will make again.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 25, 2021 at 8:42 am

        So glad you enjoyed it and made it your own!

        Reply
    6. Sonia Kuczynski says

      October 11, 2021 at 7:05 am

      5 stars
      Hi There,

      This was delicious and I even made this with Shrimps and it was Great
      Husband liked it a lot. He Loves Garlic so this was a Hit .

      Thank You for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 11, 2021 at 8:38 am

        My pleasure, Sonia! So glad you and your husband enjoyed this!

        Reply
    7. Gail says

      October 09, 2021 at 10:59 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, lots of flavour and easy to make. I added some roquette just before serving. A lovely recipe which I will be making regularly. Many thanks! Gail

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 10, 2021 at 4:30 pm

        My pleasure, Gail! So glad you're enjoying the recipe and adding your own touch.

        Reply
    8. Sam Aguilar says

      October 08, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this great recipe. It was light and didn't require any cream. Yeah it was it still creamy tasting. Unfortunately I did not have any parsley handy but I just had some cilantro so I went ahead and used that. It was different. I thought it might be a little pungent but It added a fresh flavor. Thanks again I will make it over and over

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 10, 2021 at 4:32 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Sam! Good thinking swapping in the cilantro.

        Reply
    9. Sonya says

      October 06, 2021 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      Great easy, light, quick weekday meal! I'm a mom of 4 so I appreciate when I come across recipes like this 🙂 also it's easily adjustable for taste/likes.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 06, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        I'm so glad this is a hit for you and your family, Sonya! Sweet of you to come back and let me know.

        Reply
    10. Debbie says

      October 01, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      This is a great light pasta recipe. I 've made this a couple of times and add sauted vegetables (cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach). I also use a bit of chicken stock rather than just added the 1/4 c of water.

      I'm also trying to limit my gluten and wheat intake, so have made this with brown rice pasta. Very good.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 03, 2021 at 5:03 pm

        So glad you're enjoying this and making it your own, Debbie!

        Reply
    11. Priya Burci says

      October 01, 2021 at 12:41 am

      5 stars
      This was really fantastic, tasty and quick - perfect for a week day evening!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 03, 2021 at 5:03 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Priya! Thank you for coming back to let me know.

        Reply
    12. Sandi P says

      September 15, 2021 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, quick and easy!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 17, 2021 at 9:20 am

        Thank you, Sandi! So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    13. Michelle says

      September 13, 2021 at 8:02 pm

      Wow, just delicious!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 17, 2021 at 9:25 am

        So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle!

        Reply
    14. Norma T says

      August 28, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect!! I’ve been looking for something simple and delicious to serve as a side dish or add chicken or shrimp and serve, and this is it! Can’t wait until I introduce it to my adult children and their kids. They will love it.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 29, 2021 at 11:11 am

        I love to hear this, Norma! So glad you're enjoying the recipe!

        Reply
    15. Annie Walsh says

      August 08, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful and easy. Great directions for a perfect summer dinner. Thanks much. A keeper.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 08, 2021 at 5:06 pm

        I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe, Annie! Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    16. Mel says

      August 02, 2021 at 10:52 am

      5 stars
      Delish!!!!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 02, 2021 at 1:09 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Mel!

        Reply
    17. Cor says

      July 25, 2021 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so mush for a simple spaghetti sauce with lemon zest. This recipe was graded 5 stars at our family table 🤗

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 25, 2021 at 2:51 pm

        That's wonderful to hear, Cor! Thank you.

        Reply
    18. Matt says

      July 18, 2021 at 12:40 pm

      Brilliant dish on a summers night. So easy and tasty, just had it tonight when wanted something a bit lighter than normal tomato based sauces. I added some spinach to mine. Will be adding it to the rota. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 19, 2021 at 8:24 am

        So glad you're enjoying the recipe, Matt!

        Reply
    19. Aileen says

      July 07, 2021 at 8:47 am

      5 stars
      YUMMY!!!!!! (I added shrimp...)

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 07, 2021 at 8:48 am

        So glad you enjoyed this, Aileen!

        Reply
    20. Michelle says

      June 04, 2021 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      My family loves this!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        June 07, 2021 at 9:16 am

        I'm so glad to hear it, Michelle!

        Reply
      • Esther says

        October 06, 2021 at 6:17 pm

        5 stars
        Very good. Everyone wanted me to make it again--that makes the recipe practically miraculous, in my book.

        Reply
        • Marissa Stevens says

          October 08, 2021 at 12:31 pm

          Love that! Thank you, Esther.

          Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    The best food happens at home. I love delicious food prepared simply with fresh ingredients and that’s just what you’ll find here! You can count on me for well tested, mouthwatering recipes designed for home cooks. Learn more →

    12 Recipes to Know by Heart Book Cover
    Subscribe for Free E-Cookbook

    Reader Favorites

    • Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly
    • Lemon Garlic Pasta
    • Bacon Wrapped Scallops
    • Homemade Ramen Noodles
    • Homemade Tonic Water
    • Shrimp Tacos
    • Mashed Red Potatoes
    • Gyro Meat Recipe
    • Pork Belly Ramen
    • Grilled Lamb Chops

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Meet Marissa
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 PinchandSwirl

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email