Lemon butter pasta is an easy recipe that features a light and zesty lemon butter sauce. This is a great meal starter and takes just 15 minutes to make!
In the spirit of spring and simplicity, I'm sharing a fuss-free recipe for lemon butter pasta. I'm talking 8 ingredients (including salt & pepper!), 15 minutes, and just pure comfort.
The key to delicious lemon pasta is fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, good butter, and good pasta. My take on lemon pasta is similar to the Italian dish pasta al limone, but it is lighter because it doesn't use heavy cream.
The inspiration from this recipe comes from the countless nights of clean-out-the-pantry meals and my mushroom spinach pasta and bell pepper pasta, which are like jazzed up version of this recipe.
Use this as a meal starter, or as a comfort meal when you just want a big bowl of butter noodles.
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Ingredients
- Lemon: All you need is one large lemon, or two small lemons. We're using both the lemon juice and lemon zest, so bottled lemon juice doesn't work here.
- Butter: I love salted Kerrygold butter for savory dishes where butter is a key ingredient. If using unsalted butter, simply adjust the salt to taste.
- Pasta: While long pasta like spaghetti and linguine feel more "classic", I've made this recipe with all kinds of shapes. You can truly use any variety of pasta, it's up to you!
- Pasta water: Remember to save at least ½ cup of starchy pasta water from the cooked pasta before draining. This both thins the sauce and helps it to cling to the pasta.
- Garlic: Not required, but I add garlic because I think it makes most things better.
- Parmesan: If you are a strict vegetarian, make sure to choose a vegetarian Parmesan cheese. Asiago or pecorino cheese also work well here.
- Red pepper flakes: This adds a hint of spice, so skip this ingredient if you don't like hot dishes.
Step-by-step instructions
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve at least ½ cup of the cooked pasta water before draining.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the roughly chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is aromatic and golden, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the lemon zest, cooking for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and ¼ cup of pasta water.
- Stir in the pasta and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Toss with tongs to coat the pasta in the lemon sauce. Add an additional ¼ cup pasta water to thin the sauce, if desired.
- Serve garnished with freshly ground black pepper, finely grated Parmesan cheese, and additional lemon zest.
Make it a meal
Add protein: If you're vegetarian like me, know that this goes really well with pan-fried chickpeas or white beans. I also like to add panko tofu cutlets or saute up mushroom meatballs or Impossible meatballs.
Add vegetables: Green beans almondine is the perfect complement to the lemon sauce. I also serve this with frozen peas, steamed broccoli, or lemon asparagus.
Storage tips
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover lemon pasta for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheating: Reheats well in the microwave. You can also reheat the pasta in a skillet over medium low by adding a splash of water, covering it with a lid, and stirring every few minutes until warmed through.
More easy pasta dishes
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Recipe
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Lemon Butter Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine any type of pasta works
- 3 tablespoons butter see note #1
- 3-4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium lemon juiced & zested
- Asiago or Parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta in well salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve at least ½ cup of the cooked pasta water before draining.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, to taste. Sauté until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in the lemon zest, cooking another 30 seconds. Stir in the lemon juice (3-4 tablespoons) and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, whisking to combine.
- Add in the cooked pasta, tossing to coat. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter or a drizzle of olive oil, for a lighter option. Add the remaining ¼ cup of pasta water, if desired.
- Remove from the heat and top with finely grated cheese, additional red pepper & black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Butter: I like to use a flavorful salted butter like Kerrygold here, but any kind works. If using unsalted butter, just adjust salt to taste.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover lemon pasta for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheating: Reheats well in the microwave. You can also reheat the pasta in a skillet over medium low by adding a splash of water, covering it with a lid, and stirring every few minutes until warmed through.
- One large lemon typically yields 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice and ~1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
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