Last updated on August 11th, 2024 at 08:25 am
Lemon pasta is a delicious meal ready in minutes. Think pasta in creamy sauce bursting with lemon zing but without the cream. With just a handful of ingredients whip up an easy dish for you and your family.
Lemon Pasta was something alien to me until I moved to the UK.
First lemon is not native to the Philippines although we had lime and other citrus. When I saw lemons they were on the expensive aisle so I never really bought any back home.
Pasta was more of a celebration dish. It appeared on tables on special occasions. In addition, pasta or flour are not native to the Philippines which made it as I see it now as a reason for it appearing on special occasions only.
So, I was more familiar with Filipino Style Spaghetti, macaroni soup, and Filipino macaroni salad growing up. They were divine.
Living abroad opened my eyes to more pasta recipes and shapes.
Lemon Pasta is one of them because it is easy and calls for only handful easy to find ingredients if they are not already in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Papardelle – I used dry, quick-cooking papardelle, long pasta is ideal like linguini, tagliatelle or spaghetti
Olive oil – To cook this dish I use extra virgin olive oil
Garlic – fresh, finely sliced
Chilli – fresh and finely sliced. If I were to serve it to my child who does not eat much chilli yet, I leave the chilli out and add black pepper instead.
Lemon – one lemon per person
Parmesan cheese – grated
Parsley – I use fresh flatleaf parsley which is roughly chopped
Salt – a generous amount of salt for the water to cook the pasta and add to taste as you go along
How to make lemon pasta
The packet of pasta I used in the video only needed 4 minutes to cook, so, I cook the pasta for 3 minutes and finish it off in the pan with the sauce. From watching a lot of Italians cook on TV, they add pasta water to the sauce to emulsify and get the creamy consistency without using cream.
On the recipe card, it only serves one person but double or triple the ingredients according to how many servings you wish to prepare.
1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water.
2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan.
4. Add the garlic and chilli. Let them softed for1 to 2 minutes.
5. Using a pair of tongs, drain the pasta and add to the pan. Add a tablespoon or two of pasta water and lemon juice and mix well.
6. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.
7. Serve immediately, top with more cheese and parsley.
Recipe tips and suggestions
- Loosen cheese clumps by adding pasta water or warm water then stir.
- Adding the pasta to the sauce in a pan helps emulsify the sauce without the need for cream.
Leftovers and storage – I would normally make enough for a meal when I make pasta dishes but if I accidentally made more and have to store in the fridge, I would keep it in an airtight container to leave in the fridge for up to 3 days. You may want to add a tablespoon or two of water before heating to loosen the sauce.
What do you serve with lemon pasta?
This dish is lovely on its own but it is also great with fresh vegetables, blanched, served with salads and cooked chicken, prawns or other proteins.
More noodles and pasta recipes
Lemon pasta with broad beans and broccoli
Broccoli and carrots pasta salad
Watch this short cooking video showing how to put together this pasta dish.
If you make this, please leave a comment and a review to let us know how you liked this recipe.
Browse more recipes here or head to Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates on life in the countryside and beyond.
EASY LEMON PASTA
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 tongs pair
- 1 saucepan
- 1 large spoon
- 1 knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 cheese grater
- 1 plate
- 1 serving plate
Ingredients
- 100 grams pasta papardelle
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely sliced
- 1/4 chilli finely sliced
- 1 lemon juice of
- 25 grams Parmesan cheese grated
- salt to add to boiling water to cook the pasta, add to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the papardelle and cook until al dente.
- In a pan, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and chilli and soften over a medium heat for a minute or two.
- Using a pair of tongs, drain the pasta, add it to the pan. Add a tablespoon or two of pasta water and lemon juice and mix well.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.
- Serve immediately, top with more cheese and parsley.
Video
Notes
- Loosen cheese clumps by adding pasta water or warm water then stir.
- Add the pasta to the sauce in a pan to helpemulsify the sauce without the need for cream.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You may want to add a tablespoon or two of water before heating to loosen the sauce.
English