Why You’ll Love This Easy Lemon Pasta:
- Make In 20 Minutes—Quick-cooking pappardelle noodles are tossed in a simple creamy lemon sauce for a delicious dinner in 20 minutes or less.
- Fresh Lemon Flavor—The creamy lemon sauce is rich but packed with bright lemon flavor—perfect for spring and summer.
- Versatile & Customizable—Enjoy it as a meatless main or pair it with garlic lemon shrimp or grilled chicken for extra protein.
- Simple Pantry Ingredients—This recipe uses everyday kitchen staples like pasta, cream, chicken broth, and lemon—making it perfect for those nights when you don’t know what to make, but you know it’s definitely going to be something made from what’s already in the house.
Lemon just screams spring and summer to me—and this creamy lemon pasta is the perfect quick meal to add to your dinner rotation during the warmer months. The sauce is simple, rich, creamy, and full of fresh lemon flavor, while crumbled feta on top gives it a Mediterranean-inspired twist. Thanks to wide, fast-cooking pappardelle noodles, this dish comes together quickly but still feels like something special. Serve it with grilled shrimp skewers (pictured above), grilled or crispy chicken, or let the pasta shine all on its own!
Creamy Lemon Pasta Ingredients
Fresh lemon: I use a quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of lemon juice in this pasta sauce, which is equivalent to the juice of 1-2 freshly squeezed lemons (depending on size and juiciness).
Butter, Oil, & Garlic: Fresh pressed garlic is sautéed in a mix of salted butter and avocado oil to start off the sauce. Feel free to switch out the avocado oil for your own favorite neutral oil.
Chicken broth: I use low-sodium chicken broth in this sauce. You will be adding quite a bit of Parmesan cheese, which is salty—so, I recommend starting with low-sodium broth to avoid the risk of making the sauce too salty.
Heavy cream: Start with 1 cup of cream. Then add up to 1/2 cup more if the sauce is too thick for your liking or you want it to be even creamier and richer. You can also add half-and-half in place of the extra cream.
Salt & pepper: I start with a little of each, but season to your tase.
Pappardelle noodles: These extra-wide noodles cook quickly and work perfectly with the sauce—I like these pappardelle noodles, specifically (shop on Amazon).
Reserved pasta water: This one is important! Before you drain the pasta, reserve about 3/4-1 cup of pasta water and set aside so you can add some of it to the sauce later.
Crumbled feta: To top the pasta—this is optional, but it adds a little something special.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Pasta With Feta—Step By Step
1. Start the sauce.
In a large saucepan, skillet, or chef’s oven (my fav!), heat avocado oil and butter over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add freshly pressed garlic and stir. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently so as to not burn the garlic.
At this time, place a large pot of generously salted water on the stove to bring to a boil for the pappardelle.
2. Add the broth and lemon.
Pour in a half cup of chicken broth and a quarter cup of freshly pressed lemon juice. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
3. Make the sauce creamy.
Pour in one cup of heavy cream, add the Parmesan cheese, and stir well. Then, add the salt and pepper. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the cream from scorching.
4. Cook and add the pasta.
As you are finishing up the sauce, add your pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions—typically 5 minutes. Before draining, reserve about 3/4-1 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
5. Add the pasta to the sauce, along with crumbled feta.
Drain the pasta and toss it in the sauce. Add more heavy cream and some pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. You can also add half-and-half in place of heavy cream to thin the sauce.
Once you are satisfied, top the pasta with crumbled feta and serve.
Serving Ideas
Serve this pasta with grilled chicken or lemon garlic shrimp (YUM!) for some extra protein. You can also pair it with some roasted garlic bread or a slice of freshly-baked no-knead bread—or serve it all on its own!
How to Store Leftover Lemon Pasta
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. When reheating, you can use the stovetop or microwave—just add a splash of broth, cream, or half-and-half to loosen up the sauce, since the pasta will soak up some of the liquid as it sits.
Read on for the full recipe for this easy lemon pappardelle pasta!
Once you’ve given it a try, come back and leave a rating and review to let me know how you liked it.
20-Minute Creamy Lemon Pappardelle Pasta With Feta
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
- Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Chef's Oven, 7.5qt
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 large garlic cloves pressed
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-1½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 16 oz golden egg pappardelle noodles
- ¾-1 cup pasta water make sure to set aside before draining the pappardelle!
- ⅓-½ cup crumbled feta or to taste
Instructions
Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Add the butter and avocado oil to a large skillet, saucepan, or chef's oven. Heat on medium until the butter is melted. Add the fresh pressed garlic and stir. Sauté on medium for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently so as to not burn the garlic.2 tbsp salted butter, 2 tbsp avocado oil, 2 large garlic cloves
- Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir well and bring to a simmer.½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream and stir well. Then, add the salt, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Cook on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid scorching the cream.1-1½ cups heavy cream, ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp salt
Pappardelle Pasta
- Put a pot of water on to boil as you start the creamy lemon sauce. Salt the water well.
- Cook the pappardelle noodles according to package instructions—typically about 5 minutes. Make sure to reserve about ¾-1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.16 oz golden egg pappardelle noodles
Assemble the Pasta
- Once you have set aside the pasta water, drain the pasta and add it to the creamy lemon sauce.
- Stir the pasta well, then taste it. Add a splash (or more) of pasta water and some more heavy cream until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.¾-1 cup pasta water
- Top the pasta with crumbled feta. Serve right away! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.⅓-½ cup crumbled feta
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