Quick and delicious cream lemon pasta is just 20 minutes away. Made using simple everyday ingredients, it’s packed with bright, lemony, vibrant flavors. Also known as pasta al Limone, pasta is tossed in simple luscious Italian lemon sauce and a generous amount of salty Parmesan cheese.
It’s a great weeknight pasta dinner perfect for roasted vegetables like roasted broccoli, cauliflower steaks, grilled tilapia, and grilled chimichurri chicken.
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Why You’ll Love This Lemon Garlic Pasta
- The pasta sauce is simple but flavorful.
- Has bright, lemony, and vibrant flavors.
- It’s a perfect weeknight dinner.
- Easy and quick to make, from start to finish in 20 minutes.
- Very similar to Pasta al Limone that’s very popular in Italian restaurants.
Ingredients
- Pasta – use any pasta of your choice. Angel hair pasta, spaghetti, rigatoni, or penne can be used.
- Aromats – fresh garlic and shallots add flavor and taste to the dish.
- Heavy cream – Do not substitute heavy cream with half and half or milk. Substituting cream will make the sauce light, and thin and will lack the rich taste.
- Seasoning – salt, fresh ground pepper, red chili flakes. You may also include Italian seasoning for extra flavor.
- Cheese – freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds umami saltiness and taste to the pasta.
Additions & substitutions
- To enhance flavor, saute canned anchovies in olive oil until lightly golden, chop and stir it with pasta.
- Cook boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes and add to the pasta. To speed up the process use rotisserie chicken. You can use shrimp cooked in a cast iron pan.
- Creamy lemon pasta tastes better with bacon. Slice bacon strips into cubes and fry them until golden. Sprinkle it on the pasta.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Boil water in a large pot, and season with a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta of your choice in boiling water until al-dente.
Step 2: Serve 1 cup pasta water, drain pasta, and keep aside.
Step 3: In a cast iron pan, melt butter. Sauté minced garlic and diced shallots for 20 seconds.
Step 4: Reduce flame, pour heavy cream, add salt and pepper season to taste, red chili flakes, and baby capers.
Step 5: Stir frequently and cook for 5 minutes until sauce is thickened.
Step 6: Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until cheese blends into the sauce.
Step 7: Keep whisking until the cheese melts and incorporates with the sauce.
Step 8: Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the required amount of pasta water.
Step 9: Turn off the heat, grate lemon zest directly to the pan and squeeze fresh lemon juice. Stir well.
Step 10: Add cooked pasta, and toss until well coated.
Serve hot with garlic bread, roasted vegetables, or meat.
Tips To Make Best Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Use long pasta, it works better for this creamy lemon garlic pasta.
- Cook pasta al-dente. I always cook pasta for 3-5 minutes than mentioned on the packet instructions, pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Just before you drain the pasta, reserve a mug of pasta cooking water to be used in the sauce to adjust its consistency as it thickens.
- Freshly grate cheese from a block, pre-grated cheese bought from a store usually have fillers in it. Make sure to use a fine grater for the cheese, otherwise, it won’t melt properly and make a silky smooth sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Use long pasta such as angel hair pasta, spaghetti, and fettuccine. You may also use rigatoni or penne.
I highly recommend you use heavy cream; it makes the sauce richer and tastier. To make a lighter version of creamy garlic pasta heavy whipping cream can be substituted with whole milk. With milk, the sauce will be lighter and less creamy.
Yes, cook chicken dice into small pieces can be added. You can also use shrimp in the pasta.
Vegetables like mushrooms or corn can be added.
Storage
The pasta reheats nicely. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water or chicken stock to loosen the sauce.
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📋Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta of your choice angel hair pasta, spaghetti, rigatoni, or penne
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons shallots diced
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons baby capers
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Boil water in a large pot, and season with a generous amount of salt.
- Cook pasta of your choice in boiling water until al-dente.
- Serve 1 cup pasta water, drain pasta, and keep aside.
- In a cast iron pan, melt butter.
- Sauté minced garlic and diced shallots for 20 seconds.
- Reduce flame, pour heavy cream, add salt and pepper season to taste, red chili flakes, and baby capers.
- Stir frequently and cook for 5 minutes until sauce is thickened.
- Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until cheese blends into the sauce.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the required amount of pasta water.
- Turn off the heat, grate lemon zest directly to the pan and squeeze fresh lemon juice. Stir well.
- Add cooked pasta, and toss until well coated.
- Serve hot with garlic bread, roasted vegetables, or meat.
Notes
- Use long pasta, it works better for this creamy lemon garlic pasta.
- Cook pasta al-dente. I always cook pasta for 3-5 minutes than mentioned on the packet instructions, pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Just before you drain the pasta, reserve a mug of pasta cooking water for the sauce to adjust its consistency as it thickens.
- Freshly grate cheese from a block, pre-grated cheese bought from a store usually have fillers in it. Make sure to use a fine grater for the cheese, otherwise, it won’t melt properly and make a silky smooth sauce.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and I’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2014 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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