This Lemon Butter Noodle recipe is a nod to parents everywhere who just need to get dinner on the table, and fast. With just 4 ingredients (that you likely already have on hand) and a 20 minute cook time, it's a weeknight standby. You'll likely find me eating eating it straight out of the pan, so please don't judge. Pasta drenched in butter with that pop of citrus is just too hard for me to resist.
This butter and lemon pasta is a mashup of my super popular lemon butter sauce recipe and my craveable garlic butter pasta recipe. Finished with pasta water so the sauce turns silky instead of greasy.
TL;DR - Lemon Butter Noodles
- 🍋 What it is: A fast, stovetop lemon butter pasta no cream required.
- 🧈 Ingredients: Pasta, lemon butter, pasta water, optional Parmesan.
- 🔥 How it works: Cook pasta → melt lemon butter → toss pasta with butter + pasta water until glossy → finish with cheese.
- ⏱️ Time: About 20 minutes, start to finish.
- 💡 Why it works: Pasta water emulsifies the butter so the sauce coats the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom.
- 🔁 Easy swaps: Use garlic butter, herb butter, or combine lemon + garlic butter for a pasta similar to my one pan lemon garlic pasta.
- 🍝 Best pasta shapes: Long noodles like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine cling best to the sauce.
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Key Ingredients
- Lemon Butter: Super easy to make, you'll need the zest and juice of a lemon. You can make this ahead of time or while the pasta cooks.
- Pasta Water: This is what really makes the dish come together. Save the water from boiling your pasta. The starch that comes off the pasta and into the water helps emulsify the garlic butter and Parmesan into a creamy sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese (Optional): For a simple 3 ingredient pasta dish, you can leave it out, but I like adding it in for a little extra umami.
Lemon Butter Pasta Variations
While this dish is awesome on its own, here are a few ideas to add to it for an even more "complete" meal.
- Add fresh herbs: Chop up some fresh herbs from the garden and add those to the butter when it's melting.
- Add a protein. Try serving this pasta alongside my Lemon Butter Baked Salmon and serve with sauteed spinach. Or (if you don't keep kosher like we do), add some sliced grilled chicken right on top of your pasta bowl. Or flake in hot smoked salmon for a smoky twist.
- Add a veggie or two. Make a tray of roasted broccoli or a pan of charred snap peas and add them into the pasta.
- Swap the lemon butter: Use another compound butter in place of the lemon butter. Garlic Butter is always delicious and an herb butter would be an awesome swap.
💡Hot Tip: Break your noodles in half before putting them into the water to cook. It makes it easier for kiddos to get them on their forks. You can also find "pot sized spaghetti" which is just half sized spaghetti noodles.
How to make Lemon Butter Noodles
Step 1: In a pot, bring water to a boil and add your pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta cooking water.
Step 2: While the pasta cooks, in a large saucepan melt lemon butter (or make it if you don't have any on hand).
Step 3: Add the cooked pasta to the melted lemon butter.
Step 4: Then add in the Parmesan cheese and pasta water stirring as you go.
Step 5: Keep stirring until everything is incorporated and the Parmesan has melted into the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste and then serve it hot and delicious!
Recipe FAQs
You're missing pasta water. A few tablespoons help emulsify the butter into a smooth sauce instead of leaving a greasy feel to the dish.
Yes. Parmesan adds umami, but the sauce still works without it. Just be sure to season well with salt.
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or milk. High heat can cause the butter to separate.
Other Easy Stovetop Pasta Dishes you'll love
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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📖 Recipe
3-Ingredient Lemon Butter Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 TB Lemon Butter (see recipe here)
- 16 oz long pasta (spaghetti, fettucine or angel hair)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- ½ cup pasta water reserve from pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Bring the pasta water to a boil and add your pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta cooks, in a large sauce pan, melt the lemon butter.
- Add the cooked pasta into the lemon butter and then add in the Parmesan cheese and pasta water slowly (you may need more or less depending on how the dish is coming together).
- Continue stirring until everything is incorporated and the Parmesan has melted into the sauce. (See note below if you are leaving the Parmesan out).
Marni Katz says
I made this for dinner tonight and I'm still in love with the recipe! Let me know what you think 🙂