Cook up this indulgent Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta to make weeknights go more smoothly. With fresh minced garlic, bright lemon juice, nutty parmesan, and butter in a rich sauce, this wonderful main course pasta will captivate your taste buds! Ready in 20 minutes!

Where are all of my pasta lovers out there? When thinking of pasta recipes, you likely already have a perfect dish that comes to mind, one you consider your favorite pasta. But what if I told you this could be the new simple pasta dish that you can rely on?

This delicious lemon butter pasta is a quick dinner full of vibrant flavor, thanks to the fresh ingredients. It has it all: Lots of garlic. A bright lemon flavor. Oh-so-tasty parmesan cheese. And perfectly cooked spaghetti.

What really makes this lemon pasta recipe so special is the lemon garlic butter sauce that has fresh citrus, garlic, seasonings, cheese, and a splash of pasta water to make it perfectly thick and robust. Often, pasta sauces require a longer cooking time for the flavors to come together. But this lemon sauce can be cooked in just about 20 minutes. I love love love it!

Now that you’ve figured out dinner for tonight, all you need is a complementary side dish. If you want some good recipes for inspiration, try out one of my most loved side dishes, such as my Sauteed Vegetables, Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots, or these Yummy Garlic Butter Rolls.

Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta

When I first came up with this recipe, it almost reminded me of the classic Italian pasta dish, Pasta al Limone. Both recipes have a lot in common, such as the garlic, lemon, spaghetti, and butter.

However, the traditional dish has different ratios. And it usually uses fresh pasta and doesn’t contain some of the other components I use, such as crushed pepper flakes, for a spicy kick.

Some versions also use cream and skip out on that lovely starchy water from the pasta. I love this recipe because although it tastes similar to an Italian staple, I can put my own twist on it, and my entire family is happy!

So, I know firsthand that this is the perfect recipe to treat your whole family, whether it be a special occasion or not. You can also cut the recipe in half to make a smaller portion for you and a loved one on Valentine’s Day or their birthday. The delicious lemon butter pasta has such a sophisticated feel, so it can make celebrations that much more memorable.

Ingredients Needed

This recipe contains simple ingredients, making it the perfect weeknight meal.

Here are some notes about the primary ingredients in the recipe:

• Butter: the unsalted butter is essential for this dish. After all, it wouldn’t be a lemon garlic butter pasta without the butter! You will need about half a cup of butter to create the ultimate lemon butter garlic pasta sauce.
• Garlic: This recipe requires fresh garlic. You’ll want to peel and mince the fresh garlic cloves as preparation. I don’t suggest using powdered garlic in its place. It just won’t work. This recipe requires a lot of garlic for an umami-rich taste.
• Pasta: For this recipe, we are using spaghetti noodles as the base of the lemon garlic butter pasta dish. You’ll need 1 lb. of it to yield the 6 servings.
• Seasonings: this dish has a few seasonings, such as black pepper, salt, and crushed pepper flakes. You can never go wrong with classic salt and pepper, and the crushed red pepper flakes add just a hint of spiciness that isn’t overwhelming. It is the perfect way to awaken your palate!
• Lemon: The fresh lemon juice in this lemon spaghetti recipe gives such a bright and delicious flavor to the dish. You’ll also need some zest from the lemon, which is why I don’t suggest using bottled lemon juice. The lemon butter sauce recipe benefits from the fresh citrus.

For the entire ingredient breakdown and measurements, check out the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations

There are many different ways you can alter this lemon garlic pasta recipe. Here are some ideas:

• Creamy Lemon Pasta Sauce: To transform the lemon butter garlic sauce into a creamy sauce, you can add a splash or two of heavy cream towards the end of cooking. It won’t be entirely a cream sauce, but it will add some depth and extra richness.
• Pasta Shape: although I think this garlic lemon pasta recipe works best with long pasta noodles like spaghetti pasta or even angel hair pasta, you can use other pasta shapes if you wish. Experiment with different types of ribbon pasta, shells, Rigatoni, or penne. The sky is the limit!
• Add Veggies: Add veggies to the sauce, such as asparagus, mushrooms, green beans, or onions and peppers. Saute them first before adding the garlic and then making the recipe as usual.
• Add Meat: Do you have any leftover meat you want to use up? How about some leftover rotisserie chicken? It would taste delicious when heated and added to the sauce! You can also cook a quick protein, such as shrimp, to add to the meal. This wouldn’t increase the cooking time too much.

Substitutions

• Butter: Instead of butter, you can also use a vegan butter to make it vegan-friendly. Keep in mind that you will have to swap the parmesan cheese for a vegan-friendly cheese replacement. On the other hand, if you are out of butter, you can also use extra virgin olive oil in its place, but the pasta dish won’t have the same buttery flavor.
• Seasonings: You can use mixed chili flakes instead of crushed pepper flakes. And feel free to use your preferred salt and pepper, such as kosher salt, table salt, or sea salt. White pepper certainly has a different taste than black pepper, but it will still taste delicious.
• Pasta Type: Instead of regular pasta, you can use chickpea pasta, brown rice pasta, or whole-grain (or whole-wheat) pasta.
• Cheese: If you don’t have parmesan, you can use Pecorino instead. Other yummy cheeses that aren’t necessarily similar but still flavorful for this dish: feta cheese, goat cheese, or Gruyère!

How To Make Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta

Step 1: Cook and Drain Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add and cook pasta according to the package instructions until the pasta cooks al dente. Remove one cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside for later use, then use a colander to drain the cooked pasta.

Step 2: Make The Sauce

To start the lemon butter pasta sauce, melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and crushed pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds. Add the black pepper and half of the reserved pasta water and bring to a light simmer. Note: the lemon juice gets added at the end.

Step 3: Combine Pasta With Sauce

Add the hot pasta and toss well to combine with the garlic butter mixture. Add the shredded parmesan and toss.

Step 4: Add Lemon Zest and Juice

Take off the heat and add the lemon zest and juice. Toss to combine.

Step 8: Garnish and Serve

Garnish with minced fresh Italian parsley and more shredded parmesan.

Expert Tips For Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta

• After it cools to room temperature, you can store any leftovers from this simple lemon garlic pasta dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
• For best results, use fresh parmesan cheese and grate it yourself rather than buying the store-bought grated cheese. It makes all of the difference in quality, texture, and flavor!
• To speed up the process for this simple lemon pasta, you can begin working on the sauce while the pasta cooks. Don’t start it too soon though, since you will need some of the pasta water. You can start it once the pasta is mostly done cooking to get ahead.
• Make sure to properly mince the garlic, avoiding large chunks. The smaller pieces cook more evenly, and the flavor is better distributed throughout the dish.

Serving

Serve this tasty pasta with the following:

Garlic Butter Rolls

Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

Sautéed Vegetables

Easy Dinner Rolls

Pan Seared Chicken Tenders

Pan Seared Ribeye Steaks

More Pasta Dinners

Cajun Pasta With Salmon

Steak and Pasta

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

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