Lemon Pasta is simple, light and the perfect meal that come together in under 15 minutes. This pasta dish makes a nice base for the addition of shrimp, chicken or salmon.

LEMON PASTA

When Mike and I were in Italy 7 years ago, we fell in love with the food. 

I have always loved pasta but there is something so much better about pasta straight from Italy. 

One dish I especially loved was a Lemon Pasta or pasta al limone as they call it. 

Lemon is one of my favorite ingredients, so I knew when I got home, this light pasta dish had to be on our menu. 

If you love pasta and lemon, then this lemon pasta is for you! 

This pasta dish is a light dish that comes together in under 15 minutes.

You’ll love this pasta in the spring or summer, and pairs great with a Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts and Green Beans with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds. 

It’s hard to beat a pasta that is so easy to make. 

Recipes like this Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta, Mediterranean Pasta or Caprese Pasta are always in my back pocket for busy nights.

This pasta is perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.

It is the perfect base for adding your favorite roasted vegetables or protein, like shrimp or grilled chicken. 

You can easily create a lemon chicken pasta by grilling this Mediterranean Chicken and adding it on top of the pasta.

For more  protein, bulk up the pasta using beans like chickpeas or white beans.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS LEMON PASTA RECIPE?

PASTA: When I make this pasta dish I like to use spaghetti. But, it works great with any shape pasta such as angel hair, linguine, or macaroni. For a healthier version, try whole wheat pasta.

LEMON JUICE AND ZEST: The lemon juice and zest is what gives this pasta the sweet flavor. Use more or less based on your tastes. I highly suggest adding the lemon zest for that extra punch of flavor. 

CHEESE: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is the other key ingredient in this pasta dish. Look for a high quality chunk of Parmesan cheese. Alternatively, you can use pre-shredded cheese, too. 

FRESH HERBS:  Try using fresh basil, thyme or parsley. Fresh is best, if you can. 

HOW TO MAKE LEMON PASTA

COOK THE PASTA: Cook the pasta until just past al dente. Don’t want to overcook your pasta, because it will continue to cook a bit when tossed with the sauce. 

RESERVE PASTA WATER: Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the water that the pasta cooked in to help create the lemon sauce.

MIX TOGETHER OLIVE OIL AND LEMON JUICE: In a large mixing bowl add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest, Parmesan cheese salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes {optional} and stir to combine.

ADD THE RESERVED WATER: Add 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water and continue to whisk or stir until it is mixed together. 

There is an optional step if you want a creamier sauce: you can add about 1/2 cup of cream or milk to the pasta at this point. 

ADD THE SAUCE TO THE PASTA: Next, add the sauce into the pot with the pasta and stir until everything is well combined.

You can choose to add more of the reserved cooking water depending on the the consistency you want from the sauce. 

Serve warm with extra fresh Parmesan, crushed red pepper and fresh herbs. 

COOKING TIPS FOR LEMON PASTA

• When cooking the pasta, cook it until it just a bit over al dente. As you add the pasta to the sauce it will continue to cook a bit more.
• If you have some of this pasta as leftovers, add more olive oil and lemon to the pasta when you are ready to eat it. Sometimes, the pasta soaks up the sauce when it sits in the fridge. 
• Reserve some of the water when you cook the pasta and use that to thin out the lemon sauce if you want. The starch from the water will also the sauce coat the pasta better.
• Use cream or milk to thicken the sauce of the lemon pasta. 
• When possible, fresh lemon juice with this recipe and not store-bought bottled lemon juice. The flavor is much better from the fresh juice. 

WHAT CAN I ADD TO THIS LEMON PASTA?

This pasta al limone is a great base for adding protein from meat to beans.

Here are some ideas:

• You can create a Lemon Chicken Pasta or a Lemon Shrimp Pasta. I love making this Chicken Shawarma Recipe or this Honey Garlic Sriracha Shrimp.   
• Seafood is a great option to pair with this pasta. I love making this Mediterranean Salmon,Baked Cod with Lemon or this Black Sea Bass Recipe.
• Another great option to add to this pasta is grilled or roasted vegetables. The lemon sauce is a nice pairing for the vegetables like zucchini, green beans, cauliflower or tomatoes. I often add this Turmeric Cauliflower, Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables or Roasted Broccoli.
• Some other fun additions to this lemon pasta is artichokes, capers, olives or sun-dried tomatoes. The saltiness of those ingredients goes nicely with the sweet lemon sauce. 

HOW LONG DOES THIS LEMON PASTA RECIPE LAST?

This lemon pasta will keep in the fridge for up to three days in an air tight container. When I go to reheat the leftovers I will often add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of water to help thin out the sauce or add some olive oil.

You can reheat the pasta in the microwave or in a skillet on low. 

YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE THESE RECIPES: 

CHICKEN PICCATA // A CEDAR SPOON

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI // LOVE & LEMONS 

PENNE PASTA WITH PARMESAN // CHELSEA’S MESSY APRON

ONE POT CHICKEN PASTA // A SPICY PERSPECTIVE