Lemon Pasta Recipe - Katie with Chocolate Covering

This light and creamy lemon pasta recipe comes together in just 20 minutes and is the perfect easy dinner everyone will love!

Homemade Creamy Lemon Pasta

Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal or a fancy pasta recipe for your guests at your next dinner party, lemon pasta is a welcome addition to any menu.

Try it with grilled asparagus in summer or roasted Brussels sprouts in winter.

We make the thick lemon cream sauce at least once a month. It’s rich, velvety, and pairs perfectly with steamed veggies and proteins, as well as pasta and grains.

Want more lemon? Make lemon sorbet or Dole Whip

Ingredients for Lemon Pasta Sauce

For the light lemon pasta dish, called pasta al limone in Italian, you only need seven ingredients.

These ingredients include your choice of milk or non-dairy milk or cream, lemon juice and optional lemon zest, minced garlic, butter or oil, cornstarch or flour, a little salt, and optional parmesan or nutritional yeast.

If you’re a garlic lover, feel free to double the amount of garlic before serving or drizzle some garlic oil over the finished main course.

For vegan lemon pasta, use olive oil or non-dairy butter, non-dairy milk or cream and non-dairy Parmesan cheese, or the nutritional yeast option. Many types of pasta do not contain egg, but it’s a good idea to check the ingredient list on the package to be sure.

Healthy dinner recipe can be wheat and gluten free by substituting brown rice noodles, chickpea noodles, quinoa spaghetti, or other gluten-free noodles.

For dessert, try this Keto Cheesecake

Watch the easy lemon pasta recipe video above

What kind of pasta?

The recipe works with virtually any pasta shape, including rotini, linguine, pappardelle, capellini (aka angel hair), or fettuccine.

For real lemon lovers, Trader Joe’s makes real lemon pasta. Their organic lemon torchietti pasta is flavored with lemon oil and turmeric to add color.

This time I opted for lemon spaghetti. Penne is another great choice, as the tubular pasta traps extra creamy lemon sauce in its hollow center.

If you’re on a low-carb keto diet or just want to try something different, Lemon Cream Sauce is also great with spaghetti squash, steamed or roasted vegetables, shirataki noodles, roasted chickpeas, brown or white rice, or grilled artichokes.

How to make Pasta al Limone

If you want to serve the lemon sauce with pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Stir the cornstarch into the milk or cream until completely dissolved. Add this mixture to a nonstick skillet along with all the other ingredients for the lemon sauce.

Whisk the sauce together over low-medium heat and slowly bring the pan to a boil. Stir occasionally at first, then frequently as the mixture begins to thicken.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, drain completely, but do not rinse. Set the pot of pasta aside.

Turn off the heat under the pan and season the homemade lemon pasta sauce with pepper if needed. Taste and add additional salt if needed.

Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta or other savory food of your choice.

Leftover lemon sauce will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 to 6 days. It can technically be frozen, but won’t have the same creamy consistency once thawed.

How to serve Healthy Lemon Pasta Recipe?

Many people like to serve lemon pepper pasta with seared chicken, shrimp, tuna, salmon, lobster, or sausage.

To keep my dish vegetarian, I prefer to add roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli, grilled zucchini or asparagus, or sautéed spinach or kale. Sometimes I also add kidney beans or fried tofu for more protein.

Sometimes I even add finely diced walnuts or chopped pistachios.

Paired with a side of sautéed mushrooms and a simple salad topped with cherry tomatoes and Italian dressing, the pasta makes a wonderful main course.

Serve the pasta with one of these cauliflower recipes

The pasta recipe was taken from my vegan Alfredo Pasta.

2 cups Your choice of milk, non-dairy creamer or cream
1/4 Cup Lemon juice and optionally the zest of a lemon
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch or 5 tablespoons flour (or try this Cauliflower Alfredo recipe)
3 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
optional parmesan or nutritional yeast as desired
8th oz Pasta or whatever you want to serve with the sauce

The creamy sauce only has a slight lemon flavor without the zest. So be sure to add them if you want a distinct lemon flavor.Stir the cornstarch into the milk until completely dissolved. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Bring to a slow boil over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally at first, then constantly as it begins to thicken. Turn off the heat and season to taste. Pour over pasta, roasted vegetables, or whatever you like.View nutritional information

Make a 4-ingredient lemon mousse with the remaining lemon juice.