Simple ingredients, quick cook time and only one pan. Need I say more 😊. This one pot Lemon Garlic Pasta is one of my true pasta obsessions. Seriously, guys. I love lemon and garlic and pasta and when I can make dinner in one pot, that my family LOVES and with less than 7 ingredients, I'm sold.
This is a recipe on repeat around here...like, it's almost embarrassing how many times we've eaten this. The real reason we come back to it time and time again is that the pasta water becomes the "sauce". No draining of pasta. No opening extra jars. No extra dishes to wash!
You add the pasta to the water and then add a ton of flavor to it. The pasta absorbs the water and the added flavors (here it’s lemon and garlic) as it cooks. I love this one pot method and have used it to make pasta with a tomato basil sauce and a pasta primavera dish (that's divine, I must say).
Ingredients
- Pasta shape: I like to use spaghetti noodles in this one pot pasta dish, but you can use any long pasta you like. When choosing other shapes remember to alter the cooking time and water amounts.
- Frozen Garlic Cubes: I love using frozen cubes of herbs and aromatics in my cooking. You can find frozen garlic cubes in the freezer section near the frozen veggies. I keep my freezer stocked with these bursts of flavors at all times!
- Lemons: Wash them throughly because you'll be using the zest and the juice in this recipe. A microplane will make it easy to get to the zest without getting the bitter pith as you go.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter or lemon butter so that you control the saltiness and flavor of the dish.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use fresh grated when you can. The same microplane can be used for the lemon zest and the cheese. If you don't have time to fresh grate, store bought is okay, but please, get it in the refrigerated section, not from the green can!
Simple step by step instructions
In a large saute pan add in the pasta, lemon, garlic, salt, and water. Turn the flame onto medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Once it boils, turn down the heat so the water is just simmering and cook until the pasta is just past al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Then add in the parmesan cheese and mix well to incorporate.
To serve, squeeze in a little more lemon juice, add a twist of black pepper and enjoy!
💡Hot Tip
If you find that your pasta is not cooked as much as you would like and the liquid has been absorbed, go ahead and add more. Start with ½ cup at a time until the pasta is cooked and there is a little bit of liquid left in the pan. Every pasta brand absorbs water a little bit differently, so the amount you will want to add will vary.
Benefits of frozen herbs
You know how some days you don’t feel like smelling like garlic, grating ginger, mincing onions or pureeing basil, well, frozen herbs and aromatics are a GREAT alternative. These little flavor bombs defrost in your dish as your are cooking and melt right into the other ingredients.
Crushed garlic cubes are always stocked at my Target and Trader Joe’s, so you should be able to get them at your local grocery pretty easily. I keep them in my freezer at all times and they make adding extra flavor to dishes super simple.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Simply store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is not a dish I would freeze.
To reheat, add a dash of hot water to your container and microwave in 30 second increments stirring as you go. Alternatively, you can reheat the lemon garlic pasta in a pot on the stove. You will need to add a little water as you do again to help maintain the creaminess of the dish.
Variations and Additions
I happen to think this dish is perfect as it is, however, you can definitely change things up as you like. Here are a few ideas for how to customize this pasta dish as well as some yummy additions you may want to try:
- Use garlic butter in place of the unsalted butter for an extra boost of the garlic flavor.
- Make it gluten free with your favorite gluten free pasta. We like the Barilla Gluten Free spaghetti noodles.
- Add a protein. In our kosher home, I would add salmon, but if you don't keep kosher, try adding shredded rotisserie chicken. Mix your protein of choice in after you mix in the cheese.
- Love lemon? Zest a third lemon and add it to the dish after it's done cooking. The fresh zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will give you the pucker you are looking for!
More 30 minute or less pasta recipes
These dishes are some of our families favorites and can all be made in under 30 minutes with less than 7 ingredients. Can't wait to hear what you think!
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
Easy One Pan Lemon Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz box of spaghetti
- 4 TB unsalted butter ½ stick
- 3 cubes frozen garlic
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
- 4 cups of water
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the water, pasta, butter, frozen garlic, frozen basil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper to a large sauté pan and bring to a rapid boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium (should still be boiling gently) and cook until water is almost completely evaporated, being sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking.
- If pasta is not quite cooked and water is nearly gone, add a bit more hot water to the pan (start at ¼ cup and go from there).
- Once the pasta is cooked through and just a small bit of water remains, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Mix until well incorporated into the pasta.
- Serve immediately with another sprinkle of cheese, spritz of lemon and turn of black pepper.
Notes
- You'll want to use a large straight sided pan for this recipe. Something like this 5 quart saute pan. You just want enough room for mixing the pasta at the end without spilling.
- Every pasta brand absorbs water at a different rate while it cooks. Do not be surprised if you need to add extra water as the pasta dish cooks.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. You'll likely need to adjust the amount of water you use because, like different pasta shapes absorb water differently, so does gluten free pasta vs. regular pasta.
Yes, however, it will add some of the flavor from the stock into the dish. I recommend using a mild flavored one, or a chicken stock as an alternative. If you keep kosher or follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, the Imagine brand No Chicken, Chicken stock is highly recommended. It's a pantry staple for us!
I'm a big fan of charred broccoli with this dish, but any green roasted vegetable would be a great side dish. You could also make a big green salad with a lemon vinaigrette to lighten things up.
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