If you like lemon, garlic and pasta, then this simple tangy Lemon Garlic Pasta is just for you! All you need to do is top it off with your favorite cheese like grated parmesan cheese.
Garlic lemon pasta is so easy to make and you can literally make it in one pan. Once you have your freshly squeezed lemon juice, grated lemon zest, butter and parmesan cheese, this dish will be ready in less than 20 minutes from stovetop to table.

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This dish was inspired by a TikTok video I saw recently, where the creator recorded how they made their lemon pasta. Needless to say that I was smitten with the idea and made this dish the very next day!
Lemon Garlic Pasta can be made any time of the year, but makes an especially nice pasta dish for a special occasion or for the holidays. But, don't let that stop you from making this any day of the year, though!
As a second, you might want to try this tasty Chicken with Sweet Marsala Wine. End your meal with a delicious dessert like a Cannoli Cake or Cannoli Made with Ricotta.
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Ingredients Needed to Make Lemon Garlic Pasta Recipe
These are the ingredients you will need to make a lemon garlic butter sauce.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Butter
- Fresh Garlic
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper
- Capellini Pasta
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Water
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Lemon Garlic Pasta in One Skillet
Boil 2 cups of water and set aside.
In a large skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil and butter.
Once fragrant, add uncooked pasta to the skillet. Add boiling water, a little at a time as needed so that the sauce and pasta don't dry up. The water is needed in order to cook the pasta.
Once the pasta is al dente, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and grated cheese. Mix and serve, garnish with parsley (optional).
Top tip
Cook this pasta dish in one pan and save yourself the hassle of washing multiple pots and pans.
Hint: Don't be afraid to cook your capellini in the skillet with the butter garlic sauce.
Substitutions and Variations
This dish is great on its own, but here are a few ways to change it up:
- Red Pepper Flakes - add red paper flakes to spice it up
- Heavy Cream - add cream to make a creamy lemon garlic sauce
- Bacon - add bacon for savory kick, after all bacon makes everything better, right?
If you know how to make this recipe unique or suit your diet - go for it! Let me know what you did and how it turned out by leaving me a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
Equipment
You'll need a skillet large enough to make this lemon garlic capellini. Tongs or a spaghetti claw come in handy to serve the pasta. You'll also need a lemon juicer to squeeze fresh lemon juice to use with this dish.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Storage
Leftovers of this pasta dish can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines, see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Recipe Details
Lemon Garlic Pasta
Ingredients Â
- ¼ cup Olive Oil extra virgin preferred
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- Pepper to taste
- 410 grams Capellini Pasta 1 box, also known as Angel Hair
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ½ cup Lemon Juice approximately 2 lemons
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3 springs of Parsley optional
- 2 cups of Boiling Water
InstructionsÂ
- Boil 2 cups of water and set aside.
- In a large skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil and butter.
- Once fragrant, add uncooked pasta to the skillet.
- Add boiling water, a little at a time as needed so that the sauce and pasta don't dry up. The water is needed in order to cook the pasta.
- Once the pasta is al dente, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and grated cheese.
- Mix and serve, garnish with parsley (optional).
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