We’ve all heard the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” You could certainly do that, or add those lemons to your pasta dishes! This tangy citrus pairs well with lots of dishes, especially with seafood, or as a nice contrast to buttery, cheesy pasta. Keep reading to find out how you can make your own lemon pasta.
1. Pasta al Limone Recipe
First up is a classic Italian dish that is super easy and delicious. The recipe calls for fettuccine noodles, but bucatini or tagliatelle noodles could easily be substituted. Make sure to save some of the pasta cooking water before draining them.
Once the noodles are ready, put them in a pan with melted butter, garlic, and pasta water. Mix until the noodles are well-coated. Next, add some lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan to the mix. If the cheese starts to clump up, keep tossing the noodles and add small amounts of pasta water as needed.
Get the full recipe and directions here.
2. Creamy Lemon Pasta
This next recipe has a short ingredient list, but it’s not short on flavor! Begin by zesting a lemon, then cut and juice it, and reserve some of your pasta cooking water. While your noodles are cooking (spaghetti or another long noodle works best), add cream to the lemon zest.
To finish the recipe, whisk in one tablespoon of butter until it’s fully melted. Continue adding another tablespoon at a time (6 tablespoons in total). As you do this, the sauce will become creamy and emulsified. Add parmesan little by little while tossing the noodles in the sauce, then serve and enjoy.
Get the full recipe and directions from Bon Appetit.
3. Ricotta and Zucchini Lemon Pasta
If you’re wondering how to use zucchini, this is the perfect lemon pasta dish for you! Even better – this is also a one-pot meal. Start by melting butter, shallot, garlic, thyme, and lemon zest together. Once the butter is browning, stir in cooked pasta noodles. Add roasted zucchini or yellow squash and chicken or vegetable broth and bring it to a boil.
Lastly, incorporate the cheeses and fresh basil, and eat your heart out. If you want some extra crunch or flavor, garnish your lemon pasta with toasted nuts or seeds such as pistachios, roasted walnuts, or salted pepitas.
Get the full recipe and directions from Half Baked Harvest.
4. Lemon Garlic Pasta with Shrimp
If you’re a fan of shrimp, then you’ll love this version of lemon pasta. Yet another one-pot meal, another reason to love this recipe is that you can make it in just 30 minutes. You will be using linguine for this meal; however, you could substitute it with rotini, fusilli, or even a vegetable noodle if you prefer.
The fresh shrimp are then cooked in a lemon butter garlic sauce, which is absolutely divine. Feel free to use other proteins or vegetables if you don’t have shrimp on hand. One of the recommendations the author shares is you can make the sauce thicker and creamier by incorporating heavy cream, cream cheese, or both.
Get the full recipe and directions from The Recipe Critic.
5. Dairy and Gluten-Free Lemon Chicken Pasta
We know that allergies can make cooking a pain sometimes, but this recipe shares ways to make delicious meals without dairy or gluten products. You will need Barilla gluten-free spaghetti, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast as the allergen substitutes for this lemon pasta dish. A tip that they share is to cook your chicken with lemon pepper seasoning to enhance the lemon flavor in the sauce.
Get the full recipe and directions from Allergy Awesomeness.
Several of these lemon pasta dishes had similar processes, but no two dishes were the same. We love the variety and depth of dishes that you can make from a few simple ingredients. Lemon pasta dishes are delicious and versatile, so let us know which of these recipes becomes a winner at your house!
If you like this post, we think you’ll really like our Best No Sauce Pasta Recipes post.
