Simple and delicious creamy lemon pasta ready in just 15 minutes! Also known as Pasta Al Limone, the beauty of pasta is how simple but flavorful the pasta sauce is. Perfectly cooked pasta tossed in a zesty and lemony cream sauce with a touch of salty parmesan cheese. Perfect to be served with roasted vegetables, fish, meat, or chicken.
If you know how to make a few good pasta sauces from scratch, you will never run out of dinner ideas! I’m a carb-loving person and eat A LOT of pasta. It’s so comforting and delicious, I mean, who doesn’t love pasta especially when it’s generously covered with an amazing sauce?
This lemon pasta sauce recipe is based on my garlic butter pasta as it’s luscious and made with butter and parmesan, it’s also similar to my alfredo sauce recipe; it’s super creamy and comforting. But it has a special tang and freshness added to it with the lemon juice and zest. You will LOVE how creamy, savory, tangy, and fresh this pasta sauce is!
If you ask me which pasta sauce is my favorite, I find it so difficult to pick. I love creamy pasta, but sometimes crave spicy tomato-based sauces like this penne arrabbiata, it’s incredibly delicious! So maybe try them all, and decide which one you like better ❤️
Lemon Pasta Sauce Ingredients
To make this simple lemon pasta sauce, here’s what you’ll need:
- Pasta – I like to use angel hair pasta, but any type of pasta works here.
- Lemon – use fresh unwaxed lemons.
- Parmesan – the best that you can get your hands on!
- Butter and heavy cream – the cream can be substituted with half and half.
- Garlic, salt, and pepper.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Lemon Pasta
- In a medium-sized saucepot, boil water and add salt after it starts boiling. Add your pasta, and cook according to the package instructions to al dente. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- In a skillet, melt butter on medium heat and saute the sliced/minced garlic and lemon zest very lightly without allowing the garlic to brown.
- Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the hot pasta along with a part of the pasta water, and toss it using kitchen tongs until the sauce is emulsified and coats the pasta. Keep on tossing and add more pasta water if needed until you reach the desired consistency.
- Remove from heat, and add freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley leaves. Toss and season with salt if needed. Serve warm with extra grated parmesan cheese and a little bit of lemon zest if desired.
Top Tips for Pasta with Lemon
A key step in this recipe is to cook the pasta until just al dente. The pasta will continue to cook as it’s tossed with the lemon sauce, so if you cook it all the way through in boiled water, it will end up overcooked.
It’s important to reserve some pasta cooking liquid as you cook the pasta. It’s full of starch and used to loosen up the lemon cream sauce.
I use angel hair pasta because I like the thin noodles with the cream sauce, but you can go for linguine or bucatini if you like.
What to Serve With This Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Protein. Serve this lemon pasta with chicken, steak, or salmon. It’s perfect with Chicken Francese, Fish Piccata, or Chicken Piccata.
- Salads. Fresh simple salads are the best! Plus, pasta and salad is a match made in heaven. Pair with a homemade Caesar salad, or for a nutrition-dense salad go for my kale salad with lemon vinaigrette.
- Vegetables. Grilled and roasted vegetables work so well here, try this lemon pasta with roasted cauliflower or broccoli, or even grilled portobello mushroom steaks.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Fridge: Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the pasta in a skillet over low-medium heat, and add a splash of water to thin out the sauce. Do the same if using the microwave.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this lemon pasta, as I found that it breaks when frozen and reheated.
Recommended Portion Size
For pasta in general, the recommended portion size per person is 2-3oz (60-85 grams). It also depends on whether you are serving the pasta as a main with a small portion of protein, or if it’s served as a side with many other side dishes.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
- Baked feta pasta
- Garlic shrimp pasta
- Creamy Alfredo pasta
- Gnocchi al pomodoro
- Broccoli mac and cheese
- One pot pasta
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Lemon Pasta Sauce
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Zester
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) angel hair pasta (Capellini)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- ¼ cup heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, boil water and add salt after it starts boiling. Add your pasta, and cook according to the package instructions to al dente. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- In a skillet, melt butter on medium heat and saute garlic and lemon zest very lightly without allowing the garlic to brown. About 30 seconds.
- Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the hot pasta along with a part of the pasta water, and toss it using kitchen tongs until the sauce is emulsified and coats the pasta. Keep on tossing and add more pasta water if needed until you reach the desired consistency.
- Remove from heat, and add freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley leaves. Toss and season with salt if needed. Serve warm with extra grated parmesan cheese and a little bit of lemon zest if desired.
Notes:
- The recommended portion of pasta per person is 2-3oz (60-85 grams).
- Salt the water to cook the pasta just like seawater.
- You might not need to use all of the reserved pasta water, see how much you need to make the sauce as you make it.
- You can substitute the heavy cream with half and half or light cream, but the sauce will be a bit thinner.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese as store-bought grated parmesan does not melt smoothly.
- Fridge: Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the pasta in a skillet over low-medium heat, and add a splash of water to thin out the sauce. Do the same if using the microwave.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this pasta, as I found that it breaks when frozen and reheated.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Laura Kaufman says
What a delightful dish! Easy. Quick. So flavorful. It has won the honor of going into my recipe file. Thank you little Sunny kitchen!
Claire Leonard says
Have made this a few times and it is a favorite!
Valerie Luepke says
Needed a last minute dinner idea and this was so yummy. Added a side of broccoli for my veggie. My husband liked it too even though there was no meat. Next time I might add chicken or shrimp.
Shahan Kristin says
This was super delicious, but why does it say butter divided in the recipe?
Diana says
That was a typo, thanks for the heads up! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Glenda says
Made this recipe as a side dish to wild salmon. I did add more lemon zest than recipe. I made this for a very special dinner. The guest were blown away and kept complimenting me on this pasta dish.