Lemon Pasta, or pasta al limone in Italian, is a simple pasta dish that's packed with fresh, zesty flavors and made in a creamy lemon butter sauce with fresh basil leaves and Parmesan cheese. This simple pasta recipe is made with a handful of ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!
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My husband and kids raved about this easy lemon pasta. It's bright and fresh, but still comforting, homey, and familiar like a lemony Alfredo sauce.
It's good enough for company or even fancy dinner parties, but perfect for busy weeknights when you want to get something on the table with ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry and fridge.
The lemon garlic cream sauce is rich and flavorful without being heavy or overwhelming. It's delicious all on its own with your favorite pasta shape (we love linguine but farfalle or penne would both be great choices) for a meatless meal option. Or serve it with your favorite grilled or pan-seared protein like chicken or shrimp for a more robust meal.
For more lemon-inspired dinner recipes, be sure to try my Lemon Terragon Pasta Salad, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Grilled Soy Brown Sugar Salmon with Lemon in Foil, or my Skillet Lemon Chicken and Rice!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Pasta - I've used linguine pasta here, but any kind of strand pasta or long pasta shape will work well.
- Oil - Olive oil is my preferred cooking oil for most recipes like this one as it has a great flavor, but you can use canola oil or vegetable oil if that's all you have on hand. The higher smoke point of the oil combined with the butter provides the best of both worlds.
- Butter - Use salted butter for the buttery flavor that balances well with the bright lemon zest.
- Seasoning - Use a simple combination of freshly minced garlic, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to pack flavor into this lemon pasta sauce.
- Cream - Heavy whipping cream will give the creamiest flavor and silky texture to your creamy lemon sauce.
- Lemon - Use one fresh lemon for fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. You'll need 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, so it may need to be a larger lemon or two smaller ones. Feel free to add even more if you really want to pucker up!
- Cheese - Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese will give you the best cheesy flavor. You can use pre-shredded cheese in a pinch, but it doesn't melt nearly as well.
- Basil - Fresh basil leaves will add color, nutrients, and a great, fresh flavor to the pasta.
How to Make Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Sauté garlic. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add ingredients. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium.
- Cook. Bring to a simmer, then add lemon zest and juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Cook pasta and add it in. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. Add the cooked pasta and fresh basil leaves to the creamy sauce, tossing to coat. Add as much pasta water as you would like to get a nice silky sauce, usually between ½ and 1 cup. Cook for 1 more minute, then remove from heat. The sauce will thicken slightly as it sits so be sure to toss it a time or two just before serving.
Recipe FAQ's
Store leftover lemon pasta in an airtight container or in a dish covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes! Cream based pastas tend to thicken even after cooking, and this sauce will thicken as it chills as well. Simply add a little water or milk, stir it, and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can add some water or milk to get the right consistency again if needed after stirring. The sauce might break a little and be slightly buttery, but it will still taste delicious.
I wouldn't recommend freezing this dish, as it may separate when you defrost it. With such a short prep and cooking time, though, you can easily make it fresh every time!
Tips for Success
- Adding starchy pasta water is the secret to getting a truly silky, creamy pasta sauce.
- Fresh ingredients are the other key to getting the best, brightest flavor for the dish, especially when the ingredients are so simple and few. Lemon juice from the grocery store tastes different from freshly squeezed, and it doesn't take long to prep. Plus, you need the fresh lemon zest for that punchy lemon flavor anyway. Fresh garlic and fresh basil are also better here, as is freshly grated parmesan.
- Check out my complete guide on How to Make Homemade Pasta if you want to try and make your own fresh linguine or fettucine pasta to use with this sauce!
What goes well with Lemon Pasta?
You can serve Lemon Pasta as your main dish, along with vegetable side dishes and some bread, to make it a complete meal for the whole family.
Some amazing side dish recipes that would go great with this pasta are Oven Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower, Haricots Verts with Dijon Vinaigrette, Tender Roasted Green Beans, and Bacon Wrapped Asparagus.
Try my Breadsticks, Easy Homemade Crescent Rolls, Cheesy Garlic Mozzarella Swirls, or this Homemade French Bread for the perfect bread side dish.
You can also serve this dish alongside some chicken, like my Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken, Grilled Cilantro and Lime Chicken Thighs, or these Spicy Honey Chicken, to make it go further. Salmon Steaks or Grilled Shrimp are also great protein choices.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free. Use a gluten-free pasta to make this dish gluten-free.
- Add protein. Add some shredded chicken, turkey, beef, or salmon to give this meal more protein and make it go further. It's a great recipe to use during the holidays for a lighter meal with leftover turkey!
- Herbs. Use different fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, or fresh thyme to give this dish a different flavor instead of the basil leaves.
More Pasta Recipes
- Penne Alla Vodka
- How to Make Homemade Pasta
- Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy White Chicken Lasagna
- Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Basil
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried pasta (linguine, bucatini, spaghetti, farfalle, etc.)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream (8 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese + additional for serving
- ¾ cup sliced or torn fresh basil leaves + additional for serving
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + additional for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water that's boiled, until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add cream, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Bring to a simmer, then add lemon zest and juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add cooked pasta and fresh basil leaves, tossing to coat. Add as much pasta water as you would like to get a nice silky sauce, usually between ½ and 1 cup. Cook for 1 more minute, then remove from heat. The sauce will thicken slightly as it sits.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover lemon pasta in an airtight container or in a dish covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Simply add a little water or milk, stir it, and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can add some water or milk to get the right consistency again if needed after stirring.
