Lemon Pasta with Spinach

If you're looking for an amazing date night pasta that's done in 30 minutes, look no further. Lemon pasta with spinach is the perfect creamy pasta, and my wife and I love it!

Looking for more easy pasta recipes? Try our Pasta with Cauliflower, Quick Lamb Ragu, or Italian Summer Pasta with Zucchini.

A Quick Look at The Recipe

• ✅Recipe Name: Lemon Pasta with Spinach
• ⏲️Ready in: 30 minutes
• 👪Makes: 2 servings
• 📋Main ingredients: Spaghetti, lemon, pecorino
• ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: Lemon pasta is a creamy and bright pasta with simple ingredients you can make in under 30 minutes, any night of the week. Plus, it's made without cream by emulsifying butter, pasta water, and pecorino.

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Why Pasta in the Summer

There is nothing like a nice lemony dish in the summer. Summertime calls for these bright citrusy pastas and dishes, like Chicken Spiedinior Zucchini Pasta. It is also the time we want to be cooking in the kitchen for the least amount of time. It's hot out, a million things are going on, and most of the time, we're outside on the grill.

Lemon Spinach Pasta is so delicious, light, and creamy without any heavy cream. Anytime I can get a creamy dish without the heavy cream, I'm happy. Try this dish, or Pasta Primavera with Broccoli and Asparagus, for a light and easy pasta perfect to serve with a lemony Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese!

Creamy and lemon are just textures and flavors that are meant to be together. That's why we also love that combination in Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes.

Substitutions and Ingredient Notes

• Spaghetti. Spaghetti is my choice of pasta for this dish. I think a long pasta goes really well with this, but I would also try it with rigatoni or penne.
• Spinach. Feel free to leave the spinach out if you're not interested in it or just don't have it. You can skip the whole step with the garlic, then, and you won't need any olive oil in the pan. Just go straight with the butter and then add the pasta for the best results if you skip spinach. I do feel like if you clicked the link that says Lemon Pasta with Spinach, you're probably here for the spinach.
• Pecorino Romano. You can easily substitute Parmesan or Grana Padano. Either would be perfectly fine. But pecorino romano has a sharp taste that will be missed in my opinion. Parmesan should give you a nice nutty flavor.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Lemon Pasta with Spinach

Lemon pasta with spinach is an easy weeknight meal. It's a perfect recipe for two! It's really very similar to cooking a Spaghetti Carbonara. The only difference is that there is no raw egg, so less chance of the sauce "pilling." But that makes it a whole lot easier.

Step 1: Start by zesting 1 whole lemon. Then, squeeze the juice from both lemons into a small bowl.

Step 2: Combine pecorino romano, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Save a little bit of zest for garnishing. Add 3 tablespoon olive oil to the mixture and whisk together. Set aside for later.

Step 3: This recipe requires you to finish the recipe in the pan, so we're going to cook the pasta only to al dente. In a pot, bring water to a boil. Salt the water and add the spaghetti. Boil until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water. As soon as you put the spaghetti in the water, start heating up the saucepan for the next step.

Step 4: Bring the saucepan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and the crushed garlic, and saute until browned on both sides.

Step 5: Add the spinach and wilt for 1 minute. Push the spinach to the side of the pan and remove the garlic from the pan.

Step 6: Add the butter and let it melt away from the spinach. This will make sure the spinach doesn't soak up all the butter.

Step 7: Once the butter is melted, drain the spaghetti and add it to the saucepan. Mix it with the spinach. Remove the pan from the heat and keep mixing to slightly cool the pan for about 1 minute.

Step 8: Add the lemon mixture with ½ a cup of pasta water. Stir until the pasta becomes creamy. Add more pasta water to adjust the texture.

The sauce should cling to the spaghetti, but at the same time be creamy enough to fall off it. Adding more pasta water will help slightly thin it out, but don't be afraid to use it.

Serve the pasta with extra pecorino romano and lemon zest. This dish goes great with Italian Chicken Cutlets, Chicken Spiedini, or Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken! I love to have it with cutlets and a serving of green beans or asparagus. Nothing like some grilled lemon asparagus.

Pro-Tips

1. Grate the pecorino really fine, otherwise it will melt in little globs. The finer the grate, the smoother the sauce will be. Also, use a block of pecorino. Already grated pecorino will melt in the same globular way.
2. Make sure to remove the pasta from the heat before adding the mixture. Add a little of the pasta water to help make it creamy.
3. Is your sauce clumping? Add hot pasta water and toss vigorously. This will fix your sauce right up.

FAQs about Lemon Spinach Pasta

How to Reheat Lemon Pasta with Spinach

Add the pasta to a pan with olive oil and a splash of chicken broth. Stir until the pasta is warmed through. The cheese may get a little oily during the reheating process. Luckily, this dish is so quick to make from the start, so you can make it fresh in less than 30 minutes!

How do I make the cheese stay smooth in lemon spinach pasta?

Make sure that you pull the pan off the heat before you add the cheese and lemon mixture. When you add the mixture, add some of the pasta water to make the pasta nice and creamy.

What do you do if your cheese is clumping in lemon spinach pasta?

Add hot pasta water and toss the pasta vigorously to continue the emulsion process and help the cheese stop clumping.

Quick Pasta Recipes

• Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
• Pasta with Peas and Pancetta
• 15-Minute Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil
• Simple Pasta with Eggplant and Tomatoes