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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.
Table of Contents
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.)
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!)
- Gemelli Pasta with Lemon and Garlic (If you haven’t tried this pasta shape, you must!)
- 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.
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.
Step 3: Once pasta is cooked and drained, return skillet to medium heat. Add pasta and 1/4 cup of cooking liquid; stir until heated through, adding more cooking liquid if pasta is too dry.
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.
Lemon Garlic Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more
- 1 large lemon juice and zest
- 1/3 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 1/4 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
- Use any long, slender pasta you like for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it this evening…Delish! Thinking of adding capers to it next time! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed this, PattiLynne! Capers are a nice addition.
So good and so quick to throw together! The recipe is wonderful as is! The second time I made it, I added marinated artichoke hearts, basil and grilled chicken. This will be a staple in my file!
So glad you’re enjoying this and making it your own, Moe!
Trying this recipe tonight. To go with my baked lemon chicken.
Delicious and easy, quick.
That’s so great to hear, Sandy!
Hmmmmm love it so fresh.
Thank you, Paul! So glad you’re enjoying this recipe.
This is my second time making this and it is as delicious this time as the first time! It’s so easy to make which is a great thing! I even added tomatoes and peppers which was a big hit with the family. Thank you so much for my go to pasta recipe!
aww, you’re so welcome, Cheryl! So glad this is a hit with you and your family and that you’re adding your own twist.
Excellent! I use this recipe often now. Thank you so much. It’s so easy and turns out perfectly every time 😁
aww…that’s wonderful to hear, Tracey!
Great recipe! Super flavorful and a good recipe for people on lowso diet (omit the salt and reduce the cheese).
This is my kind of food. I have fresh lemon juice from my lemon tree in my freezer and I’ll making this for dinner asap. I might throw in some Salmon. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Priscilla!
Bright flavor, easy to make!
So glad you enjoyed this, Betsy!
I make this all the time. So easy to make and so delicious!
I love to hear that, Stephanie! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
I left out most of the red pepper flakes, and served the sauce over zucchini noodles. excellent!
So glad you enjoyed this and made it your own, Rosemary!
So easy and so tasty! I used fettuccine and added blanched asparagus and pan seared scallops. So fancy and so easy!
Sounds like an amazing combination of flavors, Becky! Love that you’re making this recipe your own!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the easy to understand recipe.
My pleasure, Robin! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
It’s very good! I toned down on the crushed red pepper flakes and it still had quite a kick. Will add less crushed red pepper next time. Maybe I’m just a wimp with spicy foods.
Glad you enjoyed it, Acsana.
I have an issue with spice also – I always pick out the seeds from the crushed red pepper flakes. BUT I have found Aleppo Pepper and it’s like crushed red pepper without the seeds – a much milder kick. Got it from Penzey’s and LOVE it!
That’s a great tip, Sue. Thanks!
This was absolutely simple and screaming delicious! A perfect side to seafood.
Thanks for this!
Jude
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Judy! Sweet of you to come back and let me know.
Super easy, super quick and most importantly, super delicious 😋
So glad you enjoyed this, Jody! I appreciate you coming back to let me know.