This easy lemon basil pasta is bright, buttery, and full of flavor. Make it in under 30 minutes with fresh basil, garlic, and parmesan cheese.

Our lemon basil pasta is one of those simple recipes that looks fancy but takes almost no time to make. It’s buttery, garlicky, and full of fresh lemon flavor and has just enough parmesan cheese to pull it all together.

You can keep it meatless or add something like shrimp or grilled chicken. No matter how you make it, you’ll want to add this pasta recipe to the rotation.

How Does Lemon Basil Pasta Taste

In my opinion, the name says it all. This pasta dish is lemon-forward with a little creaminess from the butter and cheese.

It’s not a heavy cream-based dish, but it still has a smooth sauce thanks to the pasta water and olive oil mixture. The fresh basil and garlic add extra flavor and depth.

If you want a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes when you sauté the garlic. This is completely optional, but it’s really good!

Top down view of pasta with lemon on a plate.

Fresh Ingredients Make a Big Difference

This pasta recipe only uses a handful of ingredients, so quality makes a big difference.

Fresh lemon juice and zest: You’ll need 2 to 3 large lemons. The juice goes in the sauce, and the zest gets tossed in at the end.
Fresh basil: Don’t swap this for dried basil. It changes the whole flavor of the dish. Wait to add it until the end so it doesn’t get overcook and turn bitter.
Parmesan cheese: Use a block and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded won’t melt as well.
Garlic: You’ll need about four cloves minced. Make sure not to substitute with garlic powder.
Olive oil and butter: You want both for flavor and creaminess.

Short pasta, spaghetti, or fettuccine works too if you don’t have linguine. Penne, rigatoni, or farfalle all hold the sauce well.

How to Get a Silky Sauce

The secret’s in the pasta water, so don’t skip it. That starchy water helps bind the sauce so it sticks to the noodles. Add it a little bit at a time until you like the consistency.

Start the sauce while the pasta is boiling. The garlic only needs about 30 seconds in the skillet, just until it becomes fragrant and you start to smell it.

Then you stir in the lemon juice, add the cheese a little at a time, and pour in a splash of pasta water.

Let it simmer for a couple minutes then take it off the heat. That’s it. Toss everything together right in the pan.

Make It a Full Meal

This lemon basil pasta is great on its own, but it also pairs really well with:

Shrimp or scallops: Sear them in a skillet and toss them in at the end.
Grilled chicken breast: Slice it thin, and lay it over the pasta.
Baked salmon: Serve it on the side or flake it into the noodles.

Add a side salad and garlic bread if you’re serving a crowd.

Leftovers and Storage

If you’ve got leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of water or broth before reheating.

This one doesn’t freeze well because of the cheese and lemon juice, but it comes together so fast there’s really no need to make it ahead.

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

Like This Recipe?

We’d love it if you would leave a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below.