Creamy Lemon Pasta
This easy creamy lemon pasta combines tender linguine with Parmesan and a bright, silky lemon cream sauce—all in just 20 minutes!
There are certain ingredients I am almost never without, and lemons are high on that list. My mama says one must ALWAYS have a lemon on hand. They have a magical way of making everything taste brighter—even a cozy bowl of creamy pasta!
This speedy creamy lemon pasta combines linguine, Parmesan and just enough cream with plenty of fresh lemon juice and zest. The result is silky, sunny and ready in only 20 minutes, which makes it perfect for everything from a busy weeknight to a lemon-loving celebration. 🍋
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🤔 What is lemon zest?
- 🍋 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Variations on this recipe
- 😍 Other lemon pasta recipes we love!
- ⭐️ We want to know what you think!
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: Tender linguine tossed in a silky Parmesan cream sauce with plenty of fresh lemon juice and zest.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 2 servings
- Calories: xx
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Good For: Quick weeknight dinners, date-night suppers and lemon lovers 🍋
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍋 Bright and creamy: Fresh lemon juice and zest balance the rich cream, butter and Parmesan beautifully.
- ⏰ Super speedy: This sunny pasta supper is on the table in just 20 minutes.
- 🛒 Simple ingredients: Everything you need is easy to find—and you may already have most of it.
- 🍝 Silky sauce: Starchy pasta water helps the lemon Parmesan sauce cling perfectly to every strand.
- 🥦 Easy to customize: Add chicken, shrimp or your favorite vegetables to make it your own.
This easy peasy creamy lemon pasta is very much like pasta alfredo, but with a lighter cream sauce and a zing of lemon to brighten up the taste.
And! It takes less than a half hour from walking into the kitchen to sitting down to a plate of creamy, dreamy pasta deliciousness.
You do have to like lemons, because we are going to use both lemon juice and lemon zest to add some delectable lemony flavor to the sauce, but I’m here to tell you that it tastes like springtime on a plate. 🌼
🤔 What is lemon zest?
Lemon zest is the bright yellow outer layer of a lemon peel, and it is packed with fresh citrus flavor. To make it, use a microplane or fine grater to remove only the yellow skin, stopping before you reach the bitter white layer underneath, called the pith.
It adds lots of sunny lemon flavor without adding any extra liquid to the recipe. 🍋
🍋 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Pasta: We love linguine here, but spaghetti, fettuccine or any other long pasta will work beautifully. You can also use a short pasta if that’s what you have on hand.
- Lemons: Choose lemons that feel firm but have a little give when gently squeezed. Since we’re using both the juice and zest, fresh lemons are essential for this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly than packaged shredded cheese and gives the sauce its best flavor. Heavy cream: Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, gives the sauce its silky texture. You only need a little!
- For milder lemon flavor: Use the juice from one lemon instead of two and reduce or leave out the zest. J
- uicing tip: Microwave the lemons for about 20 seconds, then roll them firmly on the counter before cutting to help release more juice. 🍋
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water according to the package directions. Scoop out one cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
STEP 2: Pour ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and the cream into a large, deep skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add the butter, half of the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the Parmesan, then toss again.
STEP 3: Cover the skillet, turn off the heat and let the pasta sit for two minutes. Uncover and toss again, adding a little more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
STEP 4: Divide the pasta among warmed plates. Garnish with parsley, the remaining lemon zest and a little extra Parmesan. Twirl, taste and happy sigh! 🍋🍝
🤔 Recipe FAQs
As pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water. That starchy, salty water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and lets you thin it without making it watery. Don’t forget to scoop some out before draining!.
Zest the lemon before cutting it. Run only the yellow part of the peel over a microplane or fine grater, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl, removing any seeds.
Technically yes…store it in the fridge and reheat it slowly over medium low heat…but it is at its very best when you first make it. And it is super speedy!
Fresh lemon juice is best because this recipe depends on its bright flavor—and you’ll need fresh lemons for the zest anyway. Save the bottled juice for another day!
Turn off the heat before letting the pasta rest, and add the Parmesan gradually while tossing. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it is silky again.
It is at its creamy best immediately after cooking. You can refrigerate leftovers and reheat them gently over low heat, adding a splash of cream or water to loosen the sauce.
Pop your question in the Comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Cheese Grater: My dad found this one after testing millions of them, and it is the best grater we’ve ever used.
- Citrus Juicer: We love this handy juicer that catches every single seed.
- Food Scale: We use this for measuring everything from pasta to meat to flour.
- Large Pot: We have a lot of these but this is our fave!
- Large Skillet: We have a few of these in our cupboard but this is one of our faves.
- Microplane Zester: This handy tool perfectly grates off the zest from lemons, oranges and limes. It’s also a handy tool for a quick grating of Parmesan cheese!
- Strainer: This classic version is just right for these potatoes and your favorite pasta recipe (one of ours is pasta with egg sauce!)
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
Creamy lemon pasta is delicious with a simple vegetable or fresh salad on the side. Add a batch of chocolate chunk cookies for dessert and you have one very happy supper!
If creamy pasta suppers like this one are your happy place, try our sour cream pasta with bacon next. The sour cream gives that buttery sauce a delicious little tang!
Creamy Lemon Pasta
This decadent but delicious recipe for creamy lemon pasta has all the elements of classic Alfredo sauce, but with a zing of lemon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- zest and juice from 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus a little extra for garnish
- Freshly ground pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water. Scoop out a cup of the pasta water before you drain it, then drain and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and the cream into a large deep skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss. Add butter, half the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the cheese and toss again.
- Cover the skillet, turn off the heat, and let everything sit for 2 minutes. Uncover and toss it again, adding a little more of the pasta water if the sauce needs thinning out. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide pasta among warmed plates and garnish with parsley, the remaining lemon zest and a scattering of parmesan cheese. Twirl, taste and happy sigh.
Notes
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- Pasta: We like linguine for this recipe but it will work with pretty much any pasta you have on hand.
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- Lemons: Look for lemons that are firm but with a little give to them. Pro tip: if you pop your lemons in the microwave for 30 seconds before you juice them them they will get softer and easier to juice. PRO TIP: If you want a milder lemon taste, you can use the juice from one lemon and/or leave out the zest.
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- Parmesan Cheese: As always, we recommend fresh grated parm if you can get it!
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- Cream: You do need to use heavy cream (also known as whipping cream) for this recipe, but just a little!
Variations on this recipe
😍 Other lemon pasta recipes we love!
⭐️ We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below.