15 Lemony Pasta Recipes

Lemon and pasta is the kind of pairing that just makes sense — bright, easy, and the kind of weeknight dinner you can put on the table in the time it takes to boil the water. The 10 recipes below are the ones I come back to when I need something that just works — tested, easy to follow, and built around the kind of Lemony pasta that actually shows up on a Tuesday night. Pick the one that sounds like you, and you will have dinner on the table before anyone has a chance to ask what is for dinner.

What's Inside

1. Easy Creamy Lemon Pasta
2. Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone, 15 Minutes)
3. Linguine With Meyer Lemon
4. 20-Minute Lemon Pesto Penne
5. Bucatini with Lemony Carbonara
6. Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta
7. Date Night Lemon Pappardelle with Shrimp
8. Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
9. Creamy Lemon Pappardelle With Crispy Prosciutto
10. Shrimp Pasta With Preserved Lemon

The 10 Lemony Pasta Recipes

Each recipe links to the original source for full measurements, substitutions, and step-by-step photos. Most of these are weeknight-friendly and use ingredients you probably already have.

Easy Creamy Lemon Pasta

Recipe from Salt & Lavender

There is a reason Easy Creamy Lemon Pasta shows up on every best-of list for Lemony pasta. It hits the right balance of effort and reward, and the leftovers reheat like a dream.

Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone, 15 Minutes)

Recipe from Bon Appétit

If you have been hunting for a Lemony pasta that the whole family will eat without complaint, Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone, 15 Minutes) is the answer. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is short, and the result is something you will want to photograph.

Linguine With Meyer Lemon

Recipe from Bon Appétit

I keep coming back to Linguine With Meyer Lemon for one simple reason: it works. The flavors are layered, the method is simple, and the whole thing comes together in about the time it takes to set the table.

20-Minute Lemon Pesto Penne

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

20-Minute Lemon Pesto Penne is a love letter to Lemony pasta. It is rich where it needs to be, bright where it counts, and the kind of dish that turns a regular Wednesday into something worth remembering.

Bucatini with Lemony Carbonara

Recipe from Bon Appétit

This is the Lemony pasta that made me a believer. The technique is straightforward, the ingredient list is realistic, and the payoff is a bowl of pasta that tastes like it came from a much fancier kitchen.

Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta is one of those Lemony pasta recipes that you make once and then wonder how you lived without it. It is forgiving, it is fast, and it is the kind of thing you can put on the table with total confidence.

Date Night Lemon Pappardelle with Shrimp

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Date Night Lemon Pappardelle with Shrimp is exactly the kind of Lemony pasta that earns a permanent spot in the rotation — easy enough for a Tuesday and good enough to serve to people you actually like.

Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

There is a reason Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas shows up on every best-of list for Lemony pasta. It hits the right balance of effort and reward, and the leftovers reheat like a dream.

Creamy Lemon Pappardelle With Crispy Prosciutto

Recipe from Bon Appétit

If you have been hunting for a Lemony pasta that the whole family will eat without complaint, Creamy Lemon Pappardelle With Crispy Prosciutto is the answer. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is short, and the result is something you will want to photograph.

Shrimp Pasta With Preserved Lemon

Recipe from Bon Appétit

I keep coming back to Shrimp Pasta With Preserved Lemon for one simple reason: it works. The flavors are layered, the method is simple, and the whole thing comes together in about the time it takes to set the table.

That's a lot of pasta

Honestly, the hardest part of this roundup is picking which one to make first. I usually lean toward the Lemony pasta that hits the table in under thirty minutes on a Tuesday, then save the longer ones for a Sunday when the kitchen is warm and the afternoon is open. Whatever you choose, dinner is going to feel easier, the kitchen is going to smell incredible, and the people at your table are going to ask for seconds. That is the whole point.

Happy cooking, friends.

—Elowen Thorn

Sources & Credits

Every recipe in this roundup is the work of a real home cook or test kitchen. I have linked to the original source for full measurements, substitutions, and step-by-step photos. If you make one of these, please leave a comment on the original post — it means more to those creators than you might think.

1. Easy Creamy Lemon Pasta — Salt & Lavender
2. Creamy Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone, 15 Minutes) — Bon Appétit
3. Linguine With Meyer Lemon — Bon Appétit
4. 20-Minute Lemon Pesto Penne — Pinch of Yum
5. Bucatini with Lemony Carbonara — Bon Appétit
6. Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Lemon Pasta — Pinch of Yum
7. Date Night Lemon Pappardelle with Shrimp — Pinch of Yum
8. Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas — Pinch of Yum
9. Creamy Lemon Pappardelle With Crispy Prosciutto — Bon Appétit
10. Shrimp Pasta With Preserved Lemon — Bon Appétit