Zesty Lemon Garlic Pasta: A Classic Italian Favorite
Lemon garlic pasta is a quick and flavorful dinner made with garlic, fresh lemon juice, butter, and Parmesan. This simple Italian-inspired dish is creamy, zesty, and ready in just 20 minutes. Perfect as a main or a side, it’s a go-to pasta recipe for busy nights when you want real flavor fast.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 8 oz dried spaghetti (or any long pasta like linguine, capellini, or angel hair pasta)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional for some heat)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Boil a huge pot of water with salt. Cook spaghetti (or a similar form of pasta) according to package instructions until it is al dente, then remove from the heat.
- 2
However, remember to reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before you proceed to drain the pasta. Put the pasta somewhere in a dish.
- 3
Put onto the heat in a large skillet olive oil mixed with butter till they have melted at a medium-high temperature.
- 4
Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant (don’t let it brown).
- 5
Toss the red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook for additional minute.
- 6
Incorporate the drained pasta into the skillet. Toss to coat the noodles with the lemon garlic butter sauce.
- 7
Slowly add a little bit of the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until achieving your preferred consistency for the sauce.
- 8
Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and toss again until it melts into the sauce.
- 9
Add seasoning in the form of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- 10
Before serving, top it with freshly chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese