You only need a few pantry staples and 15 minutes to make this easy lemon pasta! This simple recipe is economical, cream-free, and packs a punch with garlicky-lemony flavor.
I was inspired by a half-empty fridge and Italian Pasta al Limone when I came up with this easy lemon pasta recipe. Though I love a creamy pasta from time to time, I wanted something light and zippy as we head into the spring season.
I swap the heavy cream and butter for flavor with extra virgin olive oil and a good hit of lemon. To make a “creamy” dairy-free sauce, I adopt an easy technique from other Italian classics like aglio e olio and cacio e pepe. You simply add a splash of the pasta’s water and stir vigorously. The water’s starch combines with the olive oil to make a glossy, decadent sauce without the cream! I like to add a touch of umami-rich parmesan to finish, put it’s totally optional.
A touch of parsley adds freshness, and six whole garlic cloves bring an addictive quality. It’s perfectly refreshing and yet totally crave-worthy. As a bonus, it’s one of those dinners you can whip up in 15 minutes with a few ingredients from your pantry.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Lemon Pasta
While Pasta al Limone recipes often call for a trip to the store for heavy cream, I’d bet you have everything you need for this easy lemon pasta in your kitchen:
- Pasta: Opt for a thin, long pasta. They’re best for lighter sauces like this lemon spaghetti sauce because it’s easier to coat them evenly with sauce. My personal preference is spaghetti, but you can also use angel hair pasta.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Because this sauce relies heavily on olive oil, choose the best kind you can (more tips in the Ingredient Spotlight section below.)
- Garlic: Six large cloves of fresh garlic add a bold flavor to the sauce.
- Crushed red pepper flakes add a depth of flavor without overwhelming the lemon, but you can skip this or substitute with Aleppo pepper for a milder option.
- Lemon: Opt for untreated lemons if you can and scrub them well. The zest holds the lemon’s essential oils, which deliver a concentrated citrus aroma and flavor.
- Parsley adds freshness to complement the citrusy flavor.
- Salt and pepper make the other flavors sing.
- Parmesan is optional, but it adds an umami flavor to the sauce without weighing it down. Skip the parmesan if you’d prefer a vegan or dairy-free pasta.
Ingredient Spotlight
My favorite thing about this lemon pasta recipe is that the sauce’s foundation is olive oil, rather than cream and butter. It’s a great opportunity to add a nuanced flavor to an easy pasta dinner!
That said, the quality of the oil is important because the flavor notes really shine through. A delicious extra virgin variety will be well worth its weight with this simple recipe.
- READ MORE: Cooking with Olive Oil: Everything You Need to Know
- TRY IT: I love the buttery, smooth flavor profile of our Italian Nocellara Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Sicily with this lemon pasta recipe.
How to Make This Lemon Pasta Recipe
Lemon spaghetti is so easy to make! And you can quickly whip up the sauce while the pasta cooks, so the dish is ready in 15 minutes or less. Here are the steps:
- Get ready. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Mince 6 large garlic cloves. Zest 2 lemons and juice 1 lemon. Chop enough parsley to get you 1/2 cup. Grate enough parmesan cheese to get you 1/4 cup (or more if you’d like).
- Cook the spaghetti. When the water is boiling, salt it well, then add 12 ounces of spaghetti. Give it a stir and cook according to package instructions to al dente (about 8 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Meanwhile, make a simple lemon-garlic olive oil sauce. When the pasta is nearly done (about 5 minutes into cooking it), heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the lemon juice and about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Save the remaining water for later.
- Coat the pasta in the oil. Drain the pasta, then add it to the skillet. Toss over medium heat until it’s well-coated.
- Finish and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the parsley, lemon zest, and parmesan (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again to combine, and if needed, add a little bit more of the pasta cooking water and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately!
How to Store this Lemon Pasta Recipe
Leftover lemon spaghetti will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, add it to a skillet on the stove over medium heat with a little water. Stir until the pasta is warmed through, adding a drizzle more oil and topping with more parmesan if you’d like.
What to Serve with Lemon Pasta
Most of the time, I’m serving this lemon pasta on its own as an easy weeknight dinner. If I’m having company and want to spruce things up with a couple of sides, though, I might throw homemade garlic bread in the oven when I start boiling the water.
A big crunchy salad also goes well with the silky lemon spaghetti. Use any leftover lemon juice and parmesan to make this Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad, which takes just 5 minutes or so. Or treat the pasta as a side dish and serve it alongside this Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe.
If it’s a lovely day, and you can eat outside, why not keep the lemon theme going and serve dinner with a refreshing Limoncello Spritz or finish the meal with a small glass of Homemade Limoncello?
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Easy Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to your liking
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional), plus more to your liking
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt it well. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions to al dente (about 8 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Make a simple lemon-garlic olive oil sauce. When the pasta is nearly done (about 5 minutes into cooking it), heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the lemon juice and about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, saving the remaining water for later.
- Coat the pasta in the oil. Drain the pasta, then add it to the skillet. Toss over medium heat until it’s well-coated.
- Finish and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the parsley, lemon zest and parmesan (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss again to combine, and if needed, add a little bit more of the pasta cooking water and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately!
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Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- What pasta to use for this recipe? I like using spaghetti, but angel hair pasta will also work.
- Lemon pasta with chicken variation: Pair smaller portions with chicken piccata to serve 6! Or shred leftover baked chicken (or even rotisserie chicken) and throw it in the pasta.
- Leftovers and storage: Leftovers will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, add it to a skillet over medium heat with a little water and heat for a few minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition
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Hi. Can Spaghetti Squash be substituted for the wheat pasta? My husband is currently on a no carb diet and thought about this squash. Thank you.
Sure, Debbi. You could do that if you prefer.
This was delicious! I followed the recipe perfectly and only added some shrimp to add a little protein. Would have been equally as delicious just on it’s own. I loved how easy it was. My guest looked up after taking a big bite and said – OMG this is better than any restaurants! ANOTHER on the rotation!
Yessss! Love that!
I made this last night as a quick dinner. My husband and I couldn’t believe how delicious it was! I knew we would enjoy it but it totally exceeded my expectations. Quick, easy, and full of flavour!
Hi, Maria! I’m Summer and I work here at The Mediterranean Dish. Thanks for taking the time to tell us how much you loved the pasta.
Made this tonight. Simple. Healthy. Economical. Delicious
Really good
This is a great dish to serve with shrimp. We really enjoy the zangy flavours.
This was so good
perfectly balanced ! It was a huge hit
Just made this delicious, easy, quick, pasta for the second time. My hubbys not a lemon fan so I’d just been waiting for him to be out of town. I thoroughly enjoyed this flavor party and I’m trying not to eat more!
Thanks so much, Colleen!
Hello Suzy! I love your site re-design. Just here to post a more recent update on this recipe, which is your most often made recipe for me. When I’m looking for a quick, fantastic, everything on hand recipe, this always comes to mind…including tonight. I just finished making it, and it’s being kept warm in my IP. The smells in my home are drool worthy. I snipped some fresh mint and basil from my planters in lieu of the other herbs, as it’s what I have on hand. No matter the substitutions, this is always letter perfect! Your Baked Brie will be the star of my holiday table again for the upcoming holidays. I’ve been following you for years on Social Media, and it’s been an absolute pleasure watching you blossom…especially since your cookbook release, which I had the pleasure of seeing you work so hard for…you earned every single accolade you received. Stay gorgeous!
Awww, Kat! Thanks so much for your kind words about the site redesign and the cookbook. What a lovely message! Your support means the world, especially as someone who’s been following along for so long :).
You are most welcome, Suzy. Easy, delicious, healthy, full of flavor and color keep me coming back!
We love this pasta! We added grilled chicken this time and it kicked it up a notch. 5 stars in our book!
I recently stumble onto The Mediterranean Dish on FB. This was my first recipe I tried. This was a very simple recipe, but so delicious. My husband and I really enjoyed it as our main course. Next time, I will serve it as a side dish. It took me a little longer to do, but I now know what I am doing! Thank you, Suzy!
So glad you loved it, Denise! Yes… the more you make it, the faster you’ll get :).
This was delicious ,easy and my company of vegetarians loved it! Served it with rasted vegetables and will definitely make this again. I did use extra lemon juice.
Parm isn’t usually vegetarian, you need one that uses vegetarian rennet. Just so that you know for future reference.
This is delicious! I really enjoyed such a quick and flavorful recipe 😋 definitely a keeper! Thanks 😊
Delicious recipe – a definite keeper! We had leftover cooked rockfish which we added, so this recipe would work well with shrimp as well, IMHO. Next time, I’ll add just a tad less red pepper flakes – just a personal preference.
Thank you for this great recipe!