Home » 30 Minute Meals » Creamy Lemon Pasta (One Pot!)
by Stephanie on February 3, 2020 (Updated June 10, 2024)115*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
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If you have one pot and 20 minutes, then this Creamy Lemon Pasta can be on your table in no time! You’ll love every bite of this buttery lemon sauce! Pair it with chicken, shrimp, or enjoy it as-is!
Serve this with my restaurant-style Chicken Piccata Recipe.
We are complete suckers for this creamy lemon pasta in our house. The zesty tang of the lemon is balanced out by the savory Parmesan cheese and cream sauce. Every ingredient complements each other perfectly.
Speakingof the ingredients… here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients
- Parmesan Cheese– High quality, shredded from a block at home.
- Butter- I recommend Cabot.
- Garlic– Mince it fresh at home. This garlic twister makes it easy. (Way better than the jarred stuff.)
- Chicken Broth
- Half and Half– You can use whole milk but the lower fat content means you run a risk of having it curdle.
- Angel Hair Pasta-not regular spaghetti noodles.
- Fresh Lemon
- Fresh Parsley
Optional: 1 tablespoons capers can be added when the chicken broth is added as well.
How to Make it
See recipe card at bottom of post for quantities and full instructions.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth. Slowly stir in the half and half. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the angel hair pasta.
Once the noodles can bend, use kitchen tongs immerse them into the sauce.
Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes, until cooked through. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. The pasta will continue to thicken upon standing.
Remove from heat and squeeze fresh lemons over the pasta. Stir the combine. Add fresh Parsley and serve.
The Trick to Extra Creamy Sauce
- Refrain from adding cold ingredients into warm pasta when you prepare it. This includes the cheese, half and half, and/or milk. The consistency will be super creamy if you follow this instruction.
- Purchase a block of high-quality Parmesan cheese. Always shred the cheese yourself, it will taste and melt much better.
- Let the cheese come to room temperature before adding it to the warm (not hot!) base.
- Add the cheese gradually as opposed to all at once.
Storing Leftovers
- Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- You can also freeze itand store it for up to 3 months.
Try These Next!
- Chicken Piccata
- Creamy Garlic Shrimp
- Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Mushroom Chicken
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Smothered Chicken
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Creamy Lemon Pasta
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
4.98 from 45 ratings
Servings: 4
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If you have one pot and 20 minutes, then this Creamy Lemon Pasta can be on your table in no time! You'll love every bite of this buttery lemon sauce! Pair it with chicken, shrimp, or enjoy it as-is!
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half*, at room temperature
- 8 oz. angel hair pasta,, (equal to 1/2 lb.)
- 1/2 fresh lemon, (or 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice.)
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
- 1 tablespoon capers,, optional
Instructions
Shred the Parmesan cheese and set it aside to allow it to get to room temperature.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth. (And 1 tablespoon capers if desired.)
Slowly stir in the half and half. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the pasta. Add the pasta. You can break the noodles in half, or allow them to heat up until you can use kitchen tongs to bend them into the pan.
Let the pasta simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir it every 30 seconds or so to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Reduce heat to low.
Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring as you do so, until smooth and well-combined. Note: The sauce will be thin at first but will thicken upon standing. The pasta will continue to absorb more of the sauce as well.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Toss the pasta to combine. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
*Don't substitute regular spaghetti noodles for the angel hair. They take much longer to cook and would require more liquid.
*Milk can be used instead of half and half, but make sure the base is warm (not hot), when you add it to avoid curdling. Warming the milk in the microwave first will also help prevent curdling. Whole milk works best.
Optional Additions:
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp
- Chicken Milanese
- Grilled Chicken or Steak
- Roasted Broccoli
- Spinach
- Steamed Asparagus
Nutrition
Calories: 422kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 626mg, Potassium: 299mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 574IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 237mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie
30 Minute Meals Dinner Freezer Food Italian One Pot Pasta
posted by Stephanie on February 3, 2020 — 115 Comments »
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Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe
115 comments on “Creamy Lemon Pasta (One Pot!)”
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Ana — June 7, 2024 @ 2:58 pm Reply
soooo good, i made this for dinner for my mom and I and we loooved it!!! i will be making over and over again
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Stephanie — June 7, 2024 @ 3:48 pm Reply
I’m so happy to hear that Ana, thank you!
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Beth — February 1, 2024 @ 6:09 am Reply
I absolutely love pasta but trying to cut down on carbs , hopefully this will work nicely with Zucchini noodles.
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Stephanie — February 1, 2024 @ 10:19 am Reply
Hi Beth! I don’t recommend making one pot recipes with Zucchini noodles, because there is extra liquid that is designed to be absorbed by dry noodles while cooking them.
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Patty — January 27, 2024 @ 7:48 am Reply
Can you use fresh pasta in this recipe if it is angel hair would it work
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Stephanie — January 27, 2024 @ 11:33 am Reply
Hi Patty, this recipe is designed for dry pasta to absorb a lot of the liquid while it cooks, if you use fresh pasta it won’t absorb the same way and it’ll be a bit soupy. I do have a recipe for angel hair pasta with chicken that you can make with fresh angel hair:)
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Karyl — December 14, 2023 @ 1:20 pm Reply
I I made this with made this to go along with my chicken piccata. It was a big hit! My teenage granddaughter loved it, and is requesting it again and again. I was a little skeptical about cooking the pasta in the sauce, but the angel hair so fast it was great!
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Stephanie — December 14, 2023 @ 1:42 pm Reply
I’m sooo happy that it was a hit and that your granddaughter wants more of it!! Excellent! Thank you so much for the review, I really appreciate it! 🙂 -Stephanie
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