My Favorite Lemon Pasta Recipe
This lemon pasta recipe is a light and creamy Italian dish with a citrusy, Mediterranean twist. It’s brightly flavored with fresh lemons, olive oil, and shallots. It’s simple, comes together quickly, and makes an incredibly refreshing weeknight dinner. Pairing lemon with cream is a bit unexpected, but it gives this dish a vibrant and fresh flavor that isn’t too rich. Together they create a silky sauce that coats the noodles beautifully without being heavy like an alfredo sauce.
Why you should try it:
Takes only 15 minutes to prep and another 15 to cook. Can be made with any pasta shape you have on hand. Pairs nicely with your favorite protein, like seared chicken or shrimp. Unique and satisfying flavor that’s pleasantly creamy, but not overly rich or heavy.
What You Need
We’re keeping it simple in today’s lemon pasta recipe by using just a few high-quality ingredients. Here are the most important ones:
Lemon juice + zest. Make sure to zest your lemon before juicing it (much easier that way 😅), and note that you only want to zest the bright yellow part, not the bitter white papery layer/pith. Also! Unlike my lemonade recipe, you really cannot substitute bottled lemon juice here; the flavor just isn’t the same. Crushed red pepper. This is optional for those of you who don’t like heat, but I love the very slight kick a pinch adds to this lemon pasta recipe. Alternatively, you can also amp up the heat with another shake of crushed red pepper, if desired. Heavy cream. We’ll subdue and complement the lemon with some heavy cream. Double cream or whipping cream will also work. I haven’t tried milk, but fear it would split. Shallot. I love using a minced shallot for extra flavor in this lemon pasta recipe. You can substitute minced garlic instead if shallots aren’t your thing; see the recipe notes below for the substitution amount. Parmesan. As in my risotto recipe, you need to use a good quality parmesan cheese and grate it yourself! Do not use pre-grated or shredded cheese, especially not the stuff in the plastic shaker canisters. These cheeses contain anti-caking agents and can keep the cheese from melting smoothly; only freshly grated parmesan will create a smooth sauce.
SAM’S TIP: A high quality pasta or homemade pasta really elevates this dish. I like to use spaghetti, linguini, or fettuccine. Whatever type you choose, make sure to cook your pasta til al dente or even just shy of al dente, since we’re going to finish cooking it in the sauce. Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!p
How to Make Lemon Pasta
SAM’S TIP: Save your pasta water and DON’T rinse your pasta after draining! The starches in the water and on the pasta will help emulsify everything together and create a silky, velvety sauce. SAM’S TIP: Top your lemon pasta with more grated parmesan, chopped fresh parsley or basil, and salt and pepper to taste. I also like to garnish with a few lemon slices–so pretty! I hope your family loves this dish as much as mine does! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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