One-Pot Lemon Pasta
When life gives you lemons, make lemon pasta!! Sounds like a cliche, but trust me you will fall in love with this pasta. The creamy lemony sauce is bright, refreshing, and clings to the pasta so well. With a handful of pantry ingredients and one pot, you can make this pasta in just 20 minutes.
One-Pot Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone)
Once you try out this recipe, you will fall for the convenience and flavor it offers. The creamy decadent sauce is tangy, lemony, and has a burst of freshness, It instantly reminds me of the sunny beaches of Amlafi and the miles upon miles of lemon trees laden with lemons that line the coast. Because the pasta cooks right in the pan, the starchy pasta cooking water helps to make the sauce extra creamy, so you don’t have to add oodles of cream.
The parmesan sauce is beautifully balanced with the tangy lemon juice, making the pasta not overly rich. This is my go-to pasta when the weather gets warmer and anything citrus makes you happy. Bonus, it takes only 20 minutes to make, making it a perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients
This recipe has the most basic and short list of ingri
- Dried Pasta – Used spaghetti here, but you may use any other form of pasta too.
- Parmesan cheese – Always fresh, grated parmesan from a block.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice for this recipe, please don’t go for bottled as they are not as flavourful. Also zest,
- Chicken Stock – to cook the pasta, also serves as the base for pasta sauce.
- Heavy cream – Not a lot. adds creaminess and thickness to the sauce.
- Minced garlic – a flavor bomb to elevate any dish.
- Butter and olive oil – Both lend its own flavor to the sauce.
- Salt & Pepper – as per taste and your heat tolerance.
- Parsley – To garnish
How to make
Like the short ingredients list, you can make this pasta in just 3 simple steps. Here is a quick video tutorial to show the process
Make the sauce base- Begin with sautéing garlic in a mix of butter and olive oil, just until fragrant. Then add chicken stock and let it come to a low boil, and put the pasta in. Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes on low heat and stirring in between so the pasta is al dente and cooked through. If the liquid has dried up and pasta is not yet cooked, then add another 1/2 cup warm chicken stock to the skillet.
Lemon Parmesan creamy sauce – Switch off the heat. Add fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream, freshly cracked pepper, and grated parmesan. Toss everything until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. Put the heat on and let pasta cook in the sauce for another minute. For a more saucy pasta, adjust the consistency by adding more warm chicken stock to the pasta.
Recipe Tips
- Use a large skillet to hold the pasta and have enough space for the pasta to cook evenly.
- How do I keep the sauce from curdling? – This is the most commonly asked question when there is cream and lemon involved in a recipe. Using heavy cream lessens the chance of curdling because if its higher fat content. While adding cream and lemon juice to the skillet, make sure the heat is low. Few recipe adds a tiny amount of flour to the sauce, which acts as a binding agent and prevents curdling. In this case, because the pasta is cooked right in the stock, the starch released from the pasta cooking water acts as a binding agent.
- Have you ever noticed parmesan cheese getting lumpy and not melting into the sauce? The reason is when you add parmesan to the dish when it’s too hot, it ceases and gets lumpy. So, always lower the heat or take the skillet off the stove, add parmesan, toss until it’s melted, and then bring the skillet back to heat.
- Chicken stock and parmesan have salt in it. So add salt accordingly towards the end.
Storing leftovers and reheating
Creamy lemon pasta is best enjoyed fresh, as cream-based sauces can sometimes change texture when stored or like any other pasta dish, the pasta will soak up the sauce and might look a little dry. However, leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat- While reheating, add a splash of chicken stock or milk to the pasta. Stir gently to loosen the pasta and heat until just warm. Avoid heating it too much, as the sauce might split and look grainy.
Serve With
You can pair with any grilled or pan-fried protein of your choice. Here are a few suggestions to make it easy for you- baked paprika chicken ( simple 5-ingredient recipe and the flavours pair well with fresh lemon sauce), crispy baked chicken tenders, Italian chicken cutlets, Air fryer crispy chicken breast, or this juicy oven baked butter garlic pork tenderloin.
Looking for a carb-loaded option? then serve some crusty bread to scoop the lemony sauce.
Other Pasta Recipes
One pot Creamy Lemon Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz grams Dried pasta (250 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
- 3 cups Chicken stock
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
- Zest of a lemon
- ½ teaspon Pepper
- ⅓ cup Freshly grated parmesan
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat butter and oil. Saute garlic for 30 seconds until it is aromatic.
- Slowly add chicken stock. When the chicken stock just starts to boil add dried pasta to the skillet.
- Reduce the heat a bit, so the chicken stock isn't boiling rapidly. Let the pasta cook until it is al dente.
- Reduce the heat and add heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Toss everything well. Switch off the flame.
- Add freshly grated parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Serve with sprinkle of chopped parsely.
Video
Notes
- Keep 1/2 cup of warm chicken stock handy. If the liquid in the pan has reduced but the pasta is not cooked, then add the remaining stock.
- Use a large skillet ( I used a 1-inch skillet) to cook the pasta.
- Begin with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then add more if you prefer more tangy lemony sauce.
- Always add parmesan cheese after switching of the flame to avoid it from lumping.
