This creamy lemon pasta recipe also known as Pasta al Limone is quick and ready in under 20 minutes. It is simple and easy to make, and it's bursting with flavors, fresh, filling, cheesy, and satisfying. Let me show you how to make pasta in lemon sauce.
Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe (Pasta Al Limone)
This creamy lemon pasta recipe is so simple yet so delicious. You will love how easy it is to make this Italian pasta dish that's packed with flavors, filling, and comforting.
Lemon pasta is called pasta al limone in Italy. This pasta dish is suitable for busy weeknights when time is of the essence and you want a delicious meal on the table in under 30 minutes. It is also suitable for weekends, and all occasions.
I like to use spaghetti for this recipe as lemon spaghetti is simply perfect and Pasta Limone is classically made with long noodle pasta however, you can use any type of pasta like linguine, fettuccine, or even short pasta like rigatoni, penne, or fusilli. Parmigiano Reggiano is the cheese of choice.
This easy lemon pasta recipe is budget-friendly. It is made with a few inexpensive ingredients, that are healthy, and easily accessible.
Lemon is a flavor enhancer, and creamy lemon pasta sauce gives the ultimate flavored pasta that the whole family would love.
This is creamy lemon pasta made with cream and cheese however if you prefer not to use cream yet get pasta that is silky to taste, pasta water will do the job. I have included in this post how to make it without heavy cream.
Eat on its own or serve it with chicken, fish, or vegetables, or for different textures serve it with garlic bread or dinner rolls. It is a versatile dish!
Let me show you how to make pasta in lemon sauce in simple, quick steps.
Related: creamy tuna pasta, spinach pasta
Ingredients
The detailed ingredient list, measurements, and directions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Pasta- I like to use long pasta like spaghetti, linguine, and fettuccine. You can use short pasta if you prefer. For this post, I used spaghetti.
Lemon- Fresh lemon juice and the zest of the lemon.
Heavy cream- Also known as double cream. This can be substituted with cream cheese.
Butter- Salted or unsalted works fine as long as you adjust salt to taste when combining pasta and sauce.
Onion- fresh diced onion gives the most flavor to this dish but you can use onion granules if that is what you have.
Garlic- Freshly minced garlic or defrost frozen minced garlic.
Parsley - Freshly chopped parsley.
Italian seasoning
Salt
Olive oil- You can use any other type of oil like vegetable or sunflower oil.
Parmesan- Parmigiano Reggiano
How To Make Lemon Pasta
It's quick and comes together in under 20 minutes. Here's how to make it:
Make the creamy lemon pasta sauce
Place a pot or skillet on medium heat.
Add butter and olive oil then add chopped onions.
Saute it for 1-2 minutes then add minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute then add Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt.
Add heavy cream and parmesan. Stir and let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Stir in lemon juice.
The sauce should be thick so add some pasta water (about ½ cup) to loosen the sauce a bit.
Cook the pasta
While cooking the sauce, Place a deep pot on another stove, add water, and bring the water to a boil then add salt and pasta. Stir and let it cook till it's aldente. Reserve a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta. Here's a detailed post on how to boil pasta
Combine pasta and lemon pasta sauce
Add the hot pasta to the sauce, add chopped parsley, and lemon zest, and stir till well combined. Taste and adjust for salt.
Take off the heat and serve.
Variation
Lemon Pasta with no cream- To make this without cream, simply leave out the cream and use pasta water instead. Pasta water is starchy and when added to the lemon sauce, it thickens it to coat the pasta and gives it a creamy silky texture. You can also add cornflour slurry to the sauce.
Lemon pasta with chicken- Season chicken and pan-sear in a skillet, then transfer it onto a plate before making the lemon sauce in the same skillet. Transfer the chicken back to the pot when you've made the sauce before adding the pasta and mixing it to combine well. Boneless chicken is best but you can use bone in.
What To Serve With Lemon Pasta
Below are some dishes that pair well with it:
Bread- Garlic bread, bread rolls, no yeast bread
Chicken- stovetop chicken thighs, pan fried chicken drumsticks, air fried chicken drumsticks, air fryer whole chicken wings
Steak- Sirloin steak, pan fried steak, instant pot steak, air fryer steak bites
Fish- Air fryer fish, boiled fish
Vegetables- Pan fried carrots, boiled asparagus
Cheese- Parmesan
Salad, coleslaw.
How To Store
Although it's best served immediately after cooking, it can be stored for later. Let it cool before transferring it to a sealable container then put it in the fridge where it will keep well for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
To reheat in the microwave, use a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle some water on the pasta to make it moist and not dry when heated. I recommended using the high settings of the microwave to heat at 30 seconds intervals till the pasta is warmed through.
Tips For Making Lemon Pasta
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest
- It is best to cook the pasta aldente
- Remember to reserve pasta water before draining the pasta. The starch in it helps make the pasta stick to the sauce. If you want lemon pasta with no cream, don't use heavy cream, cream cheese, or coconut cream, use pasta water and parmesan.
- You can serve and garnish with parmesan and lemon zest.
- It's best served immediately after it's cooked.
FAQs
Why do you put lemon juice in pasta?
Lemon is a flavor enhancer and adding it to pasta enhances its flavor. A little goes a long way and adding the zest of lemon deepens the flavor.
Where does pasta with lemon come from?
It is from Southern Italy where Lemons are grown. Pasta al limone originated in Amalfi coast and Sorrento peninsula.
Will lemon split cream?
It will not. Lemon is acidic and when added to cream, it thickens and clumps. it doesn't clump tightly and unlike milk, cream does not curdle when lemon is added to it. The trick is to heat the cream before adding lemon juice.
More Lemon Recipes
More Italian Pasta Recipes
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Creamy Lemon Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- Pot
- Skillet
- Colander
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340g) Pasta spaghetti, linguine, or any type of pasta
- 1 small Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 medium Lemon juice and ½ teaspoon zest
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Butter optional
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon chopped Parsley
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Make the creamy lemon sauce for pastaPlace a pot or skillet on medium heat. Add butter and olive oil then add chopped onions.
- Saute it for 1-2 minutes then add minced garlic. Fry for 1 minute then add Italian seasoning, black pepper, heavy cream, and parmesan. Stir and let it cook for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to bubble.
- Stir in lemon juice The sauce should be thick so add some pasta water (about ½ cup) to loosen the sauce a bit.
- Cook the pastaWhile cooking the sauce, Place a deep pot on another stove, add water, and bring the water to a boil then add salt and pasta. Stir and let it cook till it's aldente.
- Reserve a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta. Here's a detailed post on how to boil pasta
- Combine pasta and lemon pasta sauceAdd the hot pasta to the sauce, add chopped parsley, and lemon zest, and stir till well combined.
- Taste and adjust for salt.
- Take off the heat and serve.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest (1 lemon give about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice)
- It is best to cook the pasta aldente
- Remember to reserve pasta water before draining the pasta. The starch in it helps make the pasta stick to the sauce. If you want lemon pasta with no cream, don't use heavy cream, cream cheese, or coconut cream, use pasta water and parmesan.
- You can serve and garnish with parmesan and lemon zest.
- It's best served immediately after it's cooked.
Nutrition
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