Lemon Pasta Recipe
Updated Aug 25, 2026
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This creamy Lemon Pasta recipe, featuring a blend of three cheeses, makes for a perfect one-pot dinner. Its garlicky, zesty sauce deliciously coats each noodle, offering an ultra-comforting experience in every bite.
Easy Cheesy One Pot Pasta Dinner
Just as it happened with my lemon rice, once I made this delicious lemon pasta, it pushed all my other pasta recipes aside for a while! I think we just really, really like lemons. What makes it extra special for me is that it’s a one-pot dish!
When cooking one-pot pasta recipes, leaving the pasta cooking liquid in is a deliberate choice that shapes the dish’s final texture and flavor. As the pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water. This starchy pasta water acts as a natural thickener for the sauce. When combined with other ingredients like cream cheese or cheese in your recipe, it helps to create a creamy, cohesive sauce that clings to the pasta.
And since we clearly have a thing for lemon around here, my lemon rice soup and baked lemon chicken should probably be next on your list.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Pasta Recipe
- Quick. You only need 20 minutes to put this pasta dinner on the table.
- Prep-friendly. Boil the noodles in advance so you can get a head start for the week.
- Easy clean-up. It’s all made in the same pot, so you don’t have to spend hours cleaning up after dinner.
- Cheesy. The sauce is made with three kinds of gooey, melty cheese!
What You’ll Need
For this lemon pasta recipe, we’ll use a selection of simple ingredients to create a truly flavorful dish. It makes for an easy dinner, and the creamy lemon sauce is next level.
- Penne pasta: Use regular or whole wheat pasta.
- Water: Can be substituted with vegetable broth for extra flavor.
- Vegetable broth: Opt for a low-sodium variety, or substitute 1/4 cup white wine for added depth of flavor.
- Onion: White or yellow onions work great.
- Fresh basil: Look for fresh and green, avoiding any yellowing leaves.
- Garlic cloves: Use fresh garlic so it can infuse the stock.
- Cream cheese: Feel free to use low-fat or full-fat cheese, but make sure it’s at room temperature for smoother blending into the sauce.
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest: Lime juice is a suitable substitute, but use half the amount. Use fresh zest from the lemons you just squeezed.
- Mozzarella cheese: Any melty shredded cheese works for this.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is best, but store-bought is okay to use.
How to Make Lemon Pasta
This recipe is just like your favorite creamy pasta dinner but with a tangy twist. It’s sure to become a hit with the whole family and find its way into your regular rotation.
- Make the stock. Bring the pasta, water, broth, onions, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper to a boil in a deep, large skillet or pasta pot set over medium-high heat. Cover it with the lid.
- Cook the pasta. Add the pasta and cook it until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Check the package directions as a guideline because some brands take longer (or shorter) to cook through. Stir occasionally.
- Prepare the sauce. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cream cheese, lemon juice, zest, mozzarella, and parmesan. Stir until all the cheeses are melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Serve. Garnish the pasta with fresh parsley and basil leaves for a burst of color and flavor. For best results, serve it immediately.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Watch the liquid, not just the clock. The 8 to 10 minute cooking time is a guideline since different pots, stoves, and pasta brands can cook differently. Before adding the cheeses, the pasta should be al dente and most of the liquid should be absorbed, with only about ¼ to ½ cup remaining in the pot. If there’s still a lot of liquid, continue cooking uncovered for a few more minutes.
- Swap the type of pasta. Try a different pasta shape, like fettuccine, linguine, or pappardelle. The wide surfaces of these long pasta shapes allow the lemon sauce to cling to them.
- Using gluten-free pasta. Gluten-free pasta can absorb liquid and cook differently depending on the brand, so keep a close eye on it. If the pasta is nearly done but there’s still too much liquid in the pot, remove some of the excess rather than overcooking the noodles.
- Add protein. Grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, turkey, or battered shrimp are great ways to make this one-pot dinner extra hearty.
- Make it spicy. Add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or chili oil to taste for a kick of heat.
- Mix in veggies. Steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and spinach are great ways to add more flavor and texture.
- Prep ahead. Boil the pasta a day in advance and toss it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil before storing it. You can then make the sauce and mix it all together right before dinner.
- Make it extra saucy. To make a creamier sauce, mix in heavy cream or add a cup of your favorite Alfredo or bechamel sauce into the homemade pasta sauce.
Serving Suggestions
My lemon pasta recipe is a great dinner option when paired with a simple side dish or main dish. For protein, try my juicy turkey breast or roast chicken. Nothing too saucy, so the pasta has a chance to shine.
If you’re looking for veggie sides, go for my garlic butter collard greens and roasted cauliflower steaks. My La Scala chopped salad is another amazing option.
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Lemon Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2½ cups water
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces cream cheese, or Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
- fresh basil leaves, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Boil the pasta and aromatics. In a pasta pot or stockpot, combine the penne pasta, water, vegetable broth, onions, basil leaves, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.
- Continue cooking. Remove the cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. There should be about ½ cup of liquid left in the pot before you add the cheeses. If there's more, continue cooking uncovered for a few minutes.
- Add the cheeses and lemon. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese; continue stirring until melted and creamy.
- Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and basil, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator. Transfer pasta leftovers to an airtight container and keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days. This recipe is not freezer-friendly because the creamy sauce would split when thawed.
- Reheating. To reheat, microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warm. You can also heat it in a pan (covered) over medium-high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk and heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
Subpar pictures?! Girl, where?! I wish my pics could look half as good as yours.
20 minutes! Seriously, why would anyone eat boxed mac and cheese… (except the kids love it)
This looks so fresh and bright…perfect for a quick meal during the week!
My camera’s been dying a slow death for months now but it’s SO hard to spend the money on a new one. This looks amazing! I bet my kids would love it!
Yes! I don’t wanna spend that kinda money, either. BUT this one is SO done with me. I might go the refurbished route… it can’t be that bad, can it?! 😀
Oh no! So sorry about the computer and even more about the camera! This pasta does look like it could turn any day for the better! LOVE one pot dinners!
Sorry to hear about the computer and camera. I hate dealing with the technology part of blogging because I’m not very good at it. But like Laura said, at least you have this amazing bowl of pasta to ease the pain. I’m so going to try this! Been curious about the one pot method and your version has my name written all over it.
Looks so darn good! I know exactly now what I’ll be making for dinner tonight! Does the advice for wine in the closet extend to moms of teenagers? Because I’m all over that one! 🙂
Looks delicious, simple to make, I just love the idea of one pot meals! Pinned!
One word – Yum!
I want to inhale the entire pot! Love all that lemony goodness. Sorry about the technology woes, but at least you have carb-y goodness to comfort you ;).