Description
Easy Lemon Pasta is a light and refreshing Italian-inspired dish featuring al dente spaghetti tossed in a zesty lemon-garlic olive oil sauce, finished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. This quick and flavorful recipe comes together in under 20 minutes, perfect for a simple yet satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Sauce
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to your liking
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Toppings (optional)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to your liking
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Make the lemon-garlic olive oil sauce: About 5 minutes into cooking the pasta, heat 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, saving the rest for later use.
- Coat the pasta: Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet with the sauce. Toss the pasta over medium heat until well-coated and heated through.
- Finish and serve: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the chopped parsley, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese if using. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss again to combine, adding more reserved pasta water or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- This lighter, cream-free take on spaghetti al limone delivers big lemony and garlicky flavors in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for quick weeknight dinners.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to control the heat level.
- For a richer dish, add extra Parmesan or a small pat of butter when tossing the pasta.
- Use fresh lemons for the brightest flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 352.5 kcal
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 123.6 mg
- Fat: 3.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.5 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 13.5 g
- Cholesterol: 5.4 mg
