Creamy Lemon Pasta on a square white plate with a salad and glass of water in the background (with logo overlay)

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Have dinner on the table for the family in less than 30 minutes with this delicious creamy pasta with a kick of lemon for added flavor.

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Lemon has been a staple in our house lately. Both of the boys really enjoy the flavor of lemon. They always want to eat a piece of the lemon or suck the juice out whenever they see one. That’s why we knew that a creamy lemon pasta would be a great dinner for our family.

Whenever we are out to eat, they ask for lemon in their water. I don’t think a lot of servers believe them. They tend to bring the lemon slices in a separate bowl.

Because of their love for lemon, we have been trying to make more dishes with lemon flavor so they will eat them without an argument. It works about half the time! But, they both are usually willing to at least try something new when we make it. Which is all I ask of them.

We like having some pasta dishes for busy nights since it doesn’t take long to make. And we can make it when we forgot to thaw any meat for dinner. I prefer my pasta sauces to be creamy (if it isn’t regular red pasta sauce), so I like to add some heavy cream to pasta when we make it.

I made this recipe with fettuccine noodles, but you could use spaghetti, linguine, or any of the long noodles. I’m not sure how it would work with others such as elbow or bowtie noodles.

Creamy Lemon Pasta Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 4 qts water
  • 1 lb fettuccine noodles
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon (juiced and zested)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 green onion (chopped)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp pepper

Preparation

Cook the pasta as directed until it is al dente. When it’s done, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid for use in the sauce.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil and add the lemon zest.

Add the salt, honey, and green onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened.

Whisk in the cream and let it simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scald.

Drain the noodles (reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid) and fold the lemon juice in until the pasta absorbs the juice.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and reserved cooking liquid into the cream sauce.

Add the pasta to the cream sauce and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce.

Divide the pasta and garnish with pepper and lemon zest.

Creamy Lemon Pasta with a slice of lemon on a white plate with a grey napkin underneath and a salad and glass of water in the background on a white marble surface (vertical)

Recipe

Originally Published On: April 25, 2019

Last Updated On: July 21, 2022

Creamy Lemon Pasta on a square white plate with a salad and glass of water in the background

Creamy Lemon Pasta

Have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with this delicious creamy pasta with a bit of lemon for extra flavor.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
heavy cream
|
lemon
|
pasta
Servings: 4
5 from 4 votes

Ingredients

  • 4 qts water
  • 1 lb fettuccine noodles
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon (juiced and zested)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 green onion (chopped)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta as directed until it is al dente
  • When it’s done, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid for use in the sauce
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil and add the lemon zest
  • Add the salt, honey, and green onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened
  • Whisk in the cream and let it simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scald
  • Stir in the parmesan cheese and reserved cooking liquid into the cream sauce
  • Drain the noodles (reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid) and fold the lemon juice in until the pasta absorbs the juice
  • Add the pasta to the cream sauce and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce
  • Divide the pasta and garnish with pepper and lemon zest
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Nutrition Facts
Creamy Lemon Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 875 Calories from Fat 423
% Daily Value*
Fat 47g72%
Saturated Fat 21g105%
Cholesterol 193mg64%
Sodium 931mg39%
Potassium 381mg11%
Carbohydrates 88g29%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 1170IU23%
Vitamin C 18.2mg22%
Calcium 410mg41%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

28 thoughts on “Creamy Lemon Pasta”

  1. I am not much of a creamy pasta person! Not sure why but I just never have been My husband however wants to try this asap!

  2. Amanda @ All Day Active Life

    What a great spring time recipe! I like that you mix the noodles right in while it’s cooking. I’ve made something similar in the past, but you pour the sauce over the noodles, and it doesn’t seem to coat very well. Definitely will try this out!

    1. That’s interesting. I think I would like it better with the sauce poured over. I guess it’s because I’m not a heavy sauce girl, so a little goes a long way for me.

      1. Patranila I can understand that too! I like the noodles to be covered, so usually put them in the sauce at the end. But you could easily make the sauce and pour it over the noodles, too!

  3. Haha. I didn’t knew till today that we can add lemon to pasta. I love lemon and the little zesty tang it adds to thinks. Now, I can’t wait to try this. It looks so delicious.

  4. 5 stars
    I did not know that a combination of lemon and pasta can look so delicious. Never before I thought of mixing these two things together. Now I would love to try it.

  5. Pasta recipes are always my favorite! I have a lemon pasta recipe that I love that is very different from this one. I can’t wait to try this creamier version!

  6. I am a huge lover of all things lemon, so this is totally something I will make. It sounds delicious! Love that you’ve been looking for lemon recipes because your boys love it too!

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