Lemon Parmesan Pasta
These amazing noodles are laced with a buttery, garlicky, parmesan-laced lemon sauce. Made with a handful of ingredients and ready in minutes, you can quickly enjoy a burst of sunshine on the palate!
There’s so much flavor in the sauce, but there are very few ingredients. Most of the flavor in the sauce comes from garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh lemon. And we use both lemon juice and lemon zest, so you get nuances of tartness and sweetness (perfect elements when blended with butter and garlic).
I used linguine, but any pasta shape works. I love thick linguine noodles here because they slurp up the sauce and make for a fantastic presentation. That said, you can swap in your favorite noodle, including spaghetti, fettuccine, or shorter pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, spirals, and bowties. Gluten-free pasta works too!
Don’t forget to save the pasta cooking water! We use the pasta cooking water to craft a rich, creamy sauce so make sure you save about 1 cup when you drain the pasta. To make sure I don’t forget, I always put a ladle in my colander.
What should you serve with your lemon parmesan pasta? I suggest adding a crisp green salad and warm, crusty bread to round out the meal. You can also add your favorite steamed or roasted veggies if desired.
Lemon Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice, I used linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more/less to taste
- 2 lemons, juice and zest (1/4 cup juice and 1 teaspoon zest)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh basil for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Heat the oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is bubbly, add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Fold in the pasta and toss to coat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the parmesan cheese, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add more pasta water as desired to create a creamy sauce.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Top with basil or parsley, if using, and serve with extra parmesan cheese on the side.