This lemon basil pasta is a restaurant-quality dish that can be ready in half an hour. It’s my favorite to make for meal preps and can be enjoyed hot or cold.
What We Love About This Lemon Basil Pasta
- Perfect for any occasion: This lemon basil pasta recipe is perfect for any occasion, whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just looking for an easy weeknight meal.
- Versatile: It’s light enough to serve as an appetizer or side dish but hearty enough to stand alone as a main course, too.
- Customizable: Since this lemon basil pasta is made with just a few simple ingredients, you can customize it in various ways to make it truly your own.
Lemon Basil Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta Sauce – Butter, garlic cloves, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pasta water combine to make the most amazing pasta sauce for this dish.
- Fresh Basil – To add some brightness and a citrusy herb element, fresh basil is added towards the end of cooking.
- Parmesan Cheese – When it comes to pasta dishes, you can’t go wrong with some parmesan cheese for that nutty flavor and added saltiness.
- Spaghetti – This recipe calls for spaghetti, but feel free to use any pasta of your choice.
How to Make Lemon Basil Pasta
- Cook the pasta in salted water. Remove once al dente.
- Drain the pasta water. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
- Make the pasta sauce in a large skillet. Start by melting the butter.
- Add the garlic. Then, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and pasta water.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Combine the pasta, basil, and parmesan cheese with the sauce.
Make Ahead and Reheating Instructions:
- To make ahead: Transfer the finished dish to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing the flavors to soak into the pasta. Before reheating, taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- To reheat: Microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals until the lemon basil pasta reaches your desired temperature. You can also heat the pasta in the oven in a baking dish covered in foil for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through.
Recipe Variations
- To add texture and make this dish more filling, incorporate diced zucchini, cherry tomatoes, or roasted red peppers.
- Add your protein of choice such as chicken, tofu, shrimp, or white beans.
- Replace the butter with compound butter or even other oils like avocado oil or garlic-infused oil for a different flavor profile.
- Sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes on top to add some heat.
Lemon Basil Pasta
This lemon basil pasta is a restaurant-quality dish that can be ready in half an hour. It’s my favorite to make for meal preps & can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup basil fresh, sliced
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
- 10 oz spaghetti or your favorite pasta
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salty water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and pasta water and stir to combine.
- Add the pasta, basil and grated Parmesan cheese and toss to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Remove from the heat.
- Serve with extra Parmesan.
Notes
- If using fresh pasta, you will need to shorten the cooking time since it cooks faster than dried pasta.
- When salting the water to cook the pasta, aim for 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt for every pound of pasta.
- Pasta water can be used to adjust the consistency of the sauce to make it thicker.
Nutrition
Calories: 474kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 14gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 340mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 704IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 179mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe?Leave a comment and review below!
Excellent pasta recipe. Tonight I’m adding lobster chunks. I cook the lobster in butter halfway to done. Then remove from the pan and follow the recipe. Add the lobster back in and it will finish with the pasta. So delicious.
Omg Cathy, I haven’t tried this pasta recipe with lobster yet, but now I need to lol. That sounds DELICIOUS.
This recipe is excellent! Tonight I’m adding lobster chunks. I cook the lobster in butter halfway to done. Then remove from the pan and follow the recipe. Add the lobster back in and it will finish with the pasta. So delicious.