Lemon Pasta Recipe: A Delicious And Easy Meal

8 ingredients & 40 minutes to make the best Lemon Pasta! With fresh garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan, and without any cream or butter!

My dear friend Angi from SchneiderPeeps sent me a box full of beautiful Meyer lemons for Christmas. Obviously, we had to make some lemonade (don’t worry, I’m sharing that recipe as well), and there will be sweets, but my daughter and I really wanted to use lemons in a savory dinner.

What makes Meyer lemons different than regular lemons?

Most supermarket lemons (usually Eurekas or Lisbons) are super tart. That’s okay for recipes that offset the tartness with sweetening ingredients, but they’re not ideal for savory dishes. Meyers have a lemony flavor and acidity, but with a sweetness that allows them to be added raw to many dishes.

Meyer lemon season usually begins in late November or early December and ends by March. To preserve their lemon goodness, you can infuse olive oil or vinegar with their juice and peels, mix their zest in sugar or salt, or freeze the juice in icecube trays.

Mission: A lemon pasta without cream that isn’t sour

I had made this recipe with regular lemons and heavy cream, but with the sweetness of Meyer lemons that you don’t get in regular lemons, I wanted to try it omitting the cream. So my daughter and I donned our aprons and headed to the kitchen on a mission.

My daughter and I enjoyed frequent tasting sessions throughout the cooking process and we finally found the perfect combination of spices and lemon. We tossed in asparagus because lemon and asparagus are a match made in heaven as far as we are concerned. Broccoli would be a great pairing as well if you aren’t a fan of asparagus. 

The pasta in this recipe can also be switched out if you prefer. Angel hair pasta or spaghetti is another great choice. 

So now that you’re salivating, let’s get on to the recipe…

How to Make Meyer Lemon Linguine with Asparagus

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Cook sixteen ounces of linguine al dente in a large pot according to the package. Juice your lemons while your pasta is cooking. When the linguine is done, remove the pasta with a spaghetti spoon, keeping the remaining water boiling. 

Oh, and here’s a fun fact for you. Did you know that the hole in the bottom of a spaghetti spoon is there to measure a serving of pasta?

Cut your asparagus into pieces that are two to three inches long. You can use as much as you’d like. Blanch the asparagus in the pasta water for thirty seconds or until the asparagus is tender and bright green. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water.

To prepare the lemon sauce, heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add six or seven cloves of minced garlic and ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and saute for thirty seconds and then remove from heat. 

It may get a little clumpy, but don’t worry – I did and it was an unnecessary concern.

Add the pasta and asparagus to the skillet and toss everything together. Pour in ¾ cup of freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (approximately 2 large lemons) and some pasta cooking water until it’s moist enough for the noodles to move freely. Stir to blend everything together. 

Season with salt and black pepper.

Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley for additional flavor. A little lemon zest on top wouldn’t hurt anything either!

Recipe Notes

This pasta al limone dish is wonderful hot, but it’s equally good cold. Make sure to prepare enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day. You’ll thank me.

Also, be sure to check out Angi’s Lemon Berry Scones if you want more Meyer inspiration. I made them last year and they were delish!

If you’re looking for more simple dinner ideas, check out Something From Nothing Fried Rice or Best Winter Soup Recipes to Warm You Up.