This lemon pasta is an easy dish to make. It only needs four main ingredients. The pasta comes out creamy, bright and full of lemon flavor. This is a quick dish ready in less than 15 minutes.
Lemon pasta in a bowl

This Italian pasta dish, also known as Pasta al Limone, is an easy weeknight (or weekend) dish.

Ingredients

  • Spaghetti
  • Lemon
  • Butter
  • Parmesan Cheese

You will also need water to cook the spaghetti in but water is not usually listed as an ingredient in cooking recipes which is why I consider this a 4 ingredient pasta dish.
Lemon pasta with a fork in a bowl

How to Make Lemon Pasta

  • The spaghetti is first cooked until it is al dente.
  • Some of the pasta water is reserved and the rest is poured out. Add in the lemon juice and some of the reserved pasta water.
  • The butter is slowly added into the sauce, stirring after each addition, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified.
  • Remove the pasta from the stove and add in the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally add in the zest.Cooked pasta in a pan with lemon
  • If desired, you can garnish with fresh herbs, ground pepper, more lemon zest and freshly grated cheese but these are all optional.

Lemon pasta in bowls with fresh herbs, ground pepper, lemon zest and freshly grated cheese

More Easy Meals

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4.80 from 5 votes

4 Ingredient Lemon Pasta

This Pasta al Limone will have you thinking you’re vacationing in Italy. This version has only 4 main ingredients and comes together in 15 minutes. Simply make a creamy, luscious sauce out of fresh lemon juice, butter, parmesan cheese and starchy pasta water. It’s bright, flavorful and so delicious!
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 8 oz (227 g) spaghetti
  • 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) lemon juice + zest from one lemon
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, cut into 8 equal pieces
  • 1 cup (120 g) freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (You can add a little salt to the water if you usually cook pasta in salted water but it's not necessary and you will have salt from the salted butter). Add the pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions (usually about 2 minutes less than cooking time listed). Before draining, remove 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the noodles.
  • Add lemon juice and 1½ cups reserved pasta water to the same pot the noodles cooked in. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. There should be little bubbles on the surface. Add the al dente noodles and toss to combine.
  • Gradually add in the cold butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth, creamy and emulsified. Make sure each cube of butter is fully incorporated before adding the next. See notes section for tips on making this sauce.
  • Remove from the heat and add a few tablespoons of the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts into the sauce. Keep doing this step until all of the cheese is used and the sauce is creamy. If the cheese isn’t melting into the sauce, add the pot back to the stove over low heat.
  • Stir in the lemon zest. Taste and add salt if needed. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little bit more of the pasta cooking water. If desired, garnish finished pasta with more lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, more grated cheese and/or chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

  • It’s important to grate your own parmesan for this - it will melt better
  • You want to cook the noodles to al dente as they will continue to cook in the sauce
  • Other types of long pasta noodles will also work
  • Tips for emulsifying a sauce:
    • Use Cold Butter: Adding cold butter in small pieces helps emulsify the sauce by slowly incorporating fat into the liquid without breaking the emulsion.
    • Stir Constantly: Continuously stir the sauce while adding the butter to encourage a stable emulsion and prevent separation.
    • Control Temperature: Maintain moderate low heat to keep the sauce warm but not too hot, as excessive heat can cause the emulsion to break.
    • Add Fat Gradually: Add the fat (butter and cheese) slowly and in small amounts, allowing each addition to emulsify before adding more.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 540kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Sodium: 709mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, NET CARBS: 45
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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