Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (2024)

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ByJessica Knowles Reading Time: 5 minutes

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8 ingredients & 40 minutes to make the best Lemon Pasta! With fresh garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan, and without any cream or butter!

Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (1)

My dear friend Angi fromSchneiderPeepssent me a box full of beautiful Meyer lemons for Christmas. Obviously, we had to make some lemonade (don’t worry, I’m sharing that recipe as well), and there will be sweets, but my daughter and I really wanted to use lemons in a savory dinner.

What makes Meyer lemons different than regular lemons?

Most supermarket lemons (usually Eurekas or Lisbons) are super tart. That’s okay for recipes that offset the tartness with sweetening ingredients, but they’re not ideal for savory dishes. Meyers have a lemony flavor and acidity, but with a sweetness that allows them to be added raw to many dishes.

Meyer lemon season usually begins in late November or early December and ends by March. To preserve their lemon goodness, you can infuse olive oil or vinegar with their juice and peels, mix their zest in sugar or salt, or freeze the juice in icecube trays.

Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (2)

Mission: A lemon pasta without cream that isn’t sour

I had made this recipe with regular lemons and heavy cream, but with the sweetness of Meyer lemons that you don’t get in regular lemons, I wanted to try it omitting the cream. So my daughter and I donned our aprons and headed to the kitchen on a mission.

My daughter and I enjoyed frequent tasting sessions throughout the cooking process and we finally found the perfect combination of spices and lemon. We tossed in asparagus because lemon and asparagus are a match made in heaven as far as we are concerned. Broccoli would be a great pairing as well if you aren’t a fan of asparagus.

The pasta in this recipe can also be switched out if you prefer. Angel hair pasta or spaghetti is another great choice.

So now that you’re salivating, let’s get on to the recipe…

How to Make Meyer Lemon Linguine with Asparagus

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Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (3)

Cook sixteen ounces of linguine al dente in a large pot according to the package. Juice your lemons while your pasta is cooking. When the linguine is done, remove the pasta with a spaghetti spoon, keeping the remaining water boiling.

Oh, and here’s a fun fact for you. Did you know that the hole in the bottom of a spaghetti spoon is there to measure a serving of pasta?

Cut your asparagus into pieces that are two to three inches long. You can use as much as you’d like. Blanch the asparagus in the pasta water for thirty seconds or until the asparagus is tender and bright green. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water.

Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (4)

To prepare the lemon sauce, heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add six or seven cloves of minced garlic and ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and saute for thirty seconds and then remove from heat.

It may get a little clumpy, but don’t worry – I did and it was an unnecessary concern.

Add the pasta and asparagus to the skillet and toss everything together. Pour in ¾ cup of freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (approximately 2 large lemons) and some pasta cooking water until it’s moist enough for the noodles to move freely. Stir to blend everything together.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley for additional flavor. A little lemon zest on top wouldn’t hurt anything either!

Recipe Notes

Thispastaal limonedish is wonderful hot, but it’s equally good cold. Make sure to prepare enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day. You’ll thank me.

Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (5)

5 stars

Lemon Pasta Recipe {No Butter or Cream}

Meyer lemon makes this dish zesty without being sour, despite not having cream. It's quick and easy for those busy nights where you're short on time.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Total Time:40 minutes mins

This post may contain paid links. If you make a purchase using the links in this recipe, I may earn a commission.

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook linguine according to the package. When the linguine is done, remove the pasta with a spaghetti spoon, keeping the remaining water boiling.

    16 oz Linguine

  • Cut your asparagus into pieces 2-3" long. You can use as much as you'd like.

    1 lb Asparagus

  • Blanch the asparagus in the pasta water for 30 seconds or until the asparagus is tender and bright green. Drain, reserving 1 cup of of the pasta water.

  • Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for 30 seconds and then remove from heat.

    3 tbsp Olive Oil, 6-7 cloves Garlic, 3/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

  • Add the pasta and asparagus to the skillet and toss everything together.

  • Pour in freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice and some pasta cooking water until it's moist enough for the noodles to move freely. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley and serve.

    3/4 c Meyer Lemon Juice

Notes

Tastes amazing hot or cold!

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 648IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: Asparagus, Lemon, Pasta

Servings: 6

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Jessica Knowles

Also, be sure to check out Angi’sLemon Berry Sconesif you want more Meyer inspiration. I made them last year and they were delish!

If you’re looking for more simple dinner ideas, check out Something From Nothing Fried Rice or Best Winter Soup Recipes to Warm You Up.

Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (6)

Jessica Knowles

Owner, Writer at The 104 Homesteader

A gifted writer and long-time Maine homesteader, Jessica is here to share her knowledge and expertise. Jessica can help you homestead successfully on your piece of land. You can rely on her advice and tips since she has been engaged in small-scale farming and self-sufficiency for over a decade. In her downtime, Jessica loves to take her boys on hikes or spend time with her quail coveys, named after the four Hogwarts Houses. She also loves caring for her goats and garden. Jessica will show you how it's done so you can thrive on your homestead.

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Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal (2024)

FAQs

Why do people add lemon to pasta? ›

Fresh lemon juice adds a fantastic bright flavor to pasta, and it's especially delicious when paired with savory Parmesan cheese, as in this lemon pasta recipe.

How can I make my pasta more delicious? ›

If you save half a cup or so of the pasta water, you can mix some of it in at the end to add moisture and richness. Fifth, a topping: delicious grated parmesan or romano cheese. Olive oil, lemon juice and chopped parsley. Butter or olive oil, freshly-grated Parmesan.

How to make the best tasting pasta? ›

The Easy Secrets to Way Better Pasta
  1. Make sure your cooking water is salty like the sea, and almost as plentiful. ...
  2. Check the package's cooking time, but don't put too much faith in it. ...
  3. Reserve a little pasta water. ...
  4. Never, ever rinse. ...
  5. Finish your pasta in its sauce.
Apr 16, 2017

How do you reduce the taste of lemon in sauce? ›

One of the easiest ways to cut the lemon taste is to balance it with sweetness. Adding a touch of sugar or sweetener can help neutralize the acidity and bring out the natural flavors of lemon. You can try adding a teaspoon of honey, agave syrup, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar to your lemon-infused dishes or drinks.

What brings out lemon flavor? ›

2: Lemon Zest

When you want whatever you're making to sparkle with bright lemony flavor, zest is the answer. It's less tart than juice as the essential oils in the skin are much more powerful for imparting flavor.

Can I use lime instead of lemon for lemon pasta? ›

When cooking savory dishes, lime juice and orange juice make a good substitute for lemon juice. Replace the lemon juice with lime juice in equal amounts (e.g. 1 teaspoon for 1 teaspoon). Or, you could substitute the lemon juice with half as much white wine or white vinegar.

What should I add to my pasta? ›

Add some mix-ins

Now's the time to get really creative with your pasta. Add in some chopped olives or jarred tapenade, quartered artichoke hearts, or sun-dried tomatoes in oil, capers, sliced pickled chiles or roasted red peppers, drained canned tuna or other tinned seafood.

What can I put in pasta instead of sauce? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

What can I add to plain cooked pasta? ›

If you don't have any pasta sauce, then add a handful of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese or some chopped olives, capers or chunks of cooked sausage. If I have added too much pasta sauce or there is too great an egg to pasta ratio, then often I just add dried breadcrumbs to the mix.

How do you spice up bland pasta? ›

Here are some simple tips to enhance the taste of dry pasta: Add salt to the cooking water: While boiling the pasta, add a generous amount of salt to the water. This will help season the pasta from within, making it taste better. Use a flavorful sauce: A delicious sauce can elevate the taste of the pasta.

What if I add too much lemon juice to pasta sauce? ›

Dilution: The simplest way to reduce the lemon flavor is to dilute it. If you're making a liquid-based recipe (like a sauce or beverage), you can add more of the other ingredients to balance out the flavor. Balance with Sweetness: Lemon extract can be quite tart, so adding sweetness can help balance it.

How do you make lemon flavor stronger? ›

7) For concentrated lemon flavor, use lemon oil.

A little bit of lemon oil goes a long way. Recipes typically call for it in drops or up to 1/2 teaspoon because of its potent flavor. It's made from the oil of real lemon rind — there's no other type of oil added — so it's an excellent substitute for zest.

Why add lemon to a sauce? ›

Adding an acidic component (foods we'd consider to be sour) almost always enhances the flavors of a dish. A splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon adds a brightness to foods that often doesn't occur on its own.

What does adding lemon to your food do? ›

Lemon Juice Enhances the Flavor of Your Food — No Need to Add Salt. A little bit of lemon can totally transform a meal, brightening up creamier dishes and balancing the flavor in seafood. “The acidic quality of lemon juice brightens up everything it touches,” Sackmann says.

What does cooking with lemon do? ›

In baked goods and desserts, lemons provide a light, fresh flavour. Plus, it can be used to tenderise meat, or it can be used as a substitute for vinegar in dressings. Lemon juice added to steamed vegetables will help them keep their bright colours and enhance their flavour.

What does lemon do when added to food? ›

The upshot is that a squeeze of lemon is as good as a dash of salt in bringing out the flavor of just about any food. Besides making your mouth water, acidity cuts greasiness and heaviness and gives food a fresh, clean taste.

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