Easy 20 Minute Lemon Garlic Pasta

This lemon garlic pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner when you’re short on time and trying to stick a budget. It comes together in about 20 minutes with a handful of simple pantry staples for a delicious meal filled with fresh flavors.

 

You Will Love This

• It’s so fresh! The lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and parsley are loaded with fresh flavors that will transform boring spaghetti into a pasta dish that packs a punch. The best part is that you can customize the ingredients to suit your family’s taste for a fool proof recipe that you’ll be adding to the regular meal rotation.
• If you loved this easy pasta recipe, be sure to check out my 30-minute creamy salmon pasta, bacon pasta with corn and basil, and my one-pot garlic Parmesan pasta. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Spaghetti – I like to use spaghetti for this pasta dish but angel hair pasta, fettuccine, and linguine all work well. Try it with gluten-free pasta if you’re avoiding gluten.
• Pasta Water – My favorite “secret” ingredient for any pasta dish is pasta water! Pasta water is the best way to loosen up a sauce and ensure that it perfectly coats every nook and cranny of the noodles.
• Butter & Olive Oil – Both butter and extra virgin olive oil add their own flavors to this recipe and create the base of the sauce. If you want to keep the dish vegan, feel free to use vegan butter or your favorite dairy-free alternative.
• Fresh Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best for this recipe, though garlic powder would work in a pinch.
• Italian Seasoning & Fresh Parsley – The combination of dried herbs and fresh herbs really layers in the flavor. You can substitute the Italian seasoning with your favorite dried herb of choice.
• Lemon Zest & Juice – To get the best lemon flavor, I recommend using both! The lemon zest adds a, well, zestiness and the lemon juice adds the perfect acidic bite.
• Capers – My family likes to add capers to this lemon garlic pasta. Their salty, briny flavor perfectly complements the lemon and herbs, but if they aren’t your thing, feel free to omit them. 

Instructions

Boil pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve a half cup of pasta water. Saute garlic and Italian seasoning in butter and olive oil for about a minute.

Add lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, and chopped parsley to the pan along with a splash of the pasta water.

Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add pasta to the pan and toss to coat evenly. 

Add remaining pasta water as needed until it reaches your desired consistency and creates a creamy sauce to coat the noodles. You want a silky smooth sauce on the noodles. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes and enjoy!

Pro Tip

Always salt your pasta water! Salting your pasta water is the first chance you have to season the pasta. You will be amazed at how much better your overall dish tastes when you’ve salted the water! Don’t forget to reserve some of that liquid gold for tossing the pasta!

Variations

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables or proteins to this dish. Some of our family’s favorites include:

• fresh peas
• roasted broccoli
• sauteed shrimp
• grilled chicken
• fresh basil
• spinach
• splash of heavy cream

What to add to plain pasta to make it taste better?

Pasta’s versatility makes it perfect for this lemon garlic butter sauce, cream sauce, red sauce, and pesto sauce. The easiest way to pimp up pasta is to toss it in a delicious sauce made with simple ingredients along with a splash of pasta water. Then add in your favorite veggies or proteins!

Do you use salted or unsalted butter for pasta?

Technically, you can use either. Unsalted butter, though, is usually preferred because you can better control the sodium content of a recipe, adding salt to taste without having to take into account the salt content of the butter as well. 

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This pasta is a great make-ahead recipe. Make this pasta and keep it in the refrigerator to eat as a quick lunch or dinner later, simply warming it up and adding extra veggies or proteins if you like.
• Storage: Store lemon garlic pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Reheating: Reheat the pasta in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. You can also microwave the pasta in 30-60 second intervals until heated through.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

Print