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Lemon Pasta

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5 from 2 reviews

This 20-minute creamy lemon pasta is a fresh, simple meal made with just a handful of ingredients. It’s super easy to throw together and SO flavorful! Wide pappardelle noodles are coated in a creamy lemon garlic sauce made with simple ingredients including heavy cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese. The best part is you can make the sauce while the noodles are boiling!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound pappardelle pasta
  • 1/2 cup pasta water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 3 oz.)
  • zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt just before adding the pasta. Cook 1 pound of pappardelle according to package directions just until al dente. Reserve 1/2 a cup of pasta water.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Large white pan filled with olive oil, butter, and sauteed garlic.

3. Whisk in 2 cups of heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer gently over medium-low for a few minutes until the cream thickens slightly.

Heavy cream, butter, olive oil, and sauteed garlic in a large white pan.

4. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of finely shredded Parmesan cheese, the zest and juice of 2 lemons. 

Large white pan filled with creamy lemon sauce with shredded Parmesan being added.

5. Continue stirring until the cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Stir in pasta along with a splash or two of pasta water. Cook over medium heat until warmed through. Season to taste with salt. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

7. If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review!

Equipment

Notes

  • Salt your pasta water and don’t forget to save it! I usually add 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt to my boiling pot of water before adding the noodles. This is your first chance to season the pasta and it seriously makes a huge difference in the overall flavor of the final dish. Reserve about half a cup of pasta water and add a tablespoon or so at a time to help coat the noodles in the sauce. The starch from the pasta water allows the sauce to stick to the noodles even better. It’s also an easy way to thin the sauce a bit.
  • The sauce will thicken quickly as it cools. Add a splash of heavy cream or leftover pasta water to loosen up a bit. Keep this in mind when you’re cooking the sauce. You want the consistency to easily coat the noodles, even as it cools a bit, so you don’t want to let the sauce get too thick.
  • This recipe makes a lot of pasta! If you’re only feeding a couple people or don’t love leftovers, you can easily halve the recipe to make less. However, the leftovers of this creamy lemon pasta are DELICIOUS and will stay good in the fridge for up to a week. 

Nutrition

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/lemon-pasta/