This easy lemon herb pasta pasta recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! Add shrimp, chicken, or veggies to make it your own and have this lemon pasta ready in under 30 minutes.
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Oh heyyyyyy, internet!
I made you some pasta.
Some quiiiiick and eaaaaasy and lemon-y and herb-y and also cheeeeeesy (WOOT) pasta.
This is one of those oh-so-simple but oh-so-flavorful recipes that just makes everything easier. It’s quick to make (we’re talking less than 30 minutes!) and I almost always have the ingredients on hand, so it’s the perfect choice for busy weeknights when you get sucked into Netflix and forget to buy food haven’t had time to hit the store.
There is lots of twirly-whirly spaghetti (#carbs4ever) and also basil and parsley and also PARMESAN CHEESE, so I guess this is maybe less of a pasta recipe and more of an official introduction to your new weeknight dinner BFF.
Eat this lemon pasta recipe as is (it’s ready in under thirty minutes!) or add some chicken, shrimp, or seasonal veggies to mix it up a bit.
Since there aren’t too many ingredients, pay attention to quality (get the goooooood cheese, okay? PROMISE ME) and don’t skimp on seasoning (fresh ground black pepper = life).
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Easy Lemon Herb Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
Description
A quick and easy lemon herb pasta for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 2 large lemons
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (see recipe notes)
- ½ lb. spaghetti
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ cup fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in very salty water until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, zest the lemons with a microplane – being careful to avoid the bitter white pith under the skin – and place lemon zest in a large mixing bowl.
- Juice each lemon and add lemon juice to the mixing bowl with the lemon zest. Make sure to remove any seeds.
- Add olive oil and shredded parmesan cheese to bowl and stir to combine.
- When pasta is al dente, save a ladle-full of pasta water and place it in a separate small bowl.
- Drain pasta.
- Add hot drained pasta to your lemon-oil-cheese mixture. Toss to combine until cheese has melted and pasta is evenly coated. If it needs a little more moisture, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Taste pasta and season to taste with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.
- Reserve a tablespoon or so of chopped herbs for garnish.
- Toss remaining parsley and basil with the pasta until herbs are evenly distributed.
- Serve immediately and top with reserved herbs for garnish.
Notes
To keep this recipe truly vegetarian, use vegetarian (rennet-free) parmesan cheese.
Buy good-quality parmiggiano reggiano cheese and shred it yourself – pre-shredded or low-quality parmesan cheese will NOT melt well into the sauce and will just get clumpy (yuck).
Add some grilled chicken, roasted salmon, shrimp, or crab to this pasta to make it a heartier dish. You could also add any seasonal veggies you have on hand, such as broccoli, bell peppers, peas, asparagus, etc.
Nutrition
- Calories: 398
Yummy! This dish was amazing. My family loved it. One teenage son wants the recipe to take to college and the other ate the rest for lunch the next day. Thank you for sharing.
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YIPPEE! We’re so happy to hear your whole family loved it!
I made this. Not nice at all. Had I rinse in hot water as nobody liked it. Sorry.
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Hi Valerie! We’re sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you!
What an amazing dish. I’m a server at a Hilton Hotel in Ct. I usually have my chef make it for me.. we do not sell hotel food..only fresh made. Well all I can say is this recipe is spot on. Will definitely make it again🌻
Thanks so much, Randi! We’re so glad you loved it!
For the amount of pasta it was way too much lemon. We only used small lemons and all we could taste was an overpowering taste of lemon that was almost ineatable.
The idea is really good but it lacks some other ingredients such as garlic, chili or tomatoes.
Would try it again but would only use 1/2 or maximum 1 lemon for the given amount of pasta.
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Jessie, I’m not much of a social media person (and frankly not that great of a cook) but I must compliment you on your recipe for Easy Lemon Herb Pasta — it is outstanding!! I have a lemon tree with many fresh lemons and your recipe gave me the confidence to try and zest (!) a lemon and make this wonderful sauce. Just wanted to say thank you!
★★★★★
I don’t know if it’s just an acquired taste, but both my mom and myself did not like the flavour. And it’s disappointing because it smelled really good, but was a waste of pasta.
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This recipe is easy and delicious! My husband said it’s the best meal he’s had in a long, long, time! I added some things. I marinated chicken with a McCormick white wine marinade, grilled it, and added spinach. So happy to find a delicious and healthy lemon pasta recipe, thank you!
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Would this dish be too much to pair with herb lemon grilled chicken?
We made this recipe without the lemon and extra cheese! Very easy to make and soo good!
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Thanks Nalani!
Can’t wait to make this.
Can i add slow cooked salsa chicken to it? I want to but i think it will mask the lemony flavor? And if i should add it.. then at which step?