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 meal.

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

Lemon pasta with spinach requires a minimal amount of time to use the burners. It is so delicious, light, and creamy without any heavy cream. Anytime I can get a creamy dish without the dairy, I'm happy. Try this dish and you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients for Lemon Pasta with Spinach

• ½ lb spaghetti
• 2 lemons
• ½ cup pecorino romano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for spinach)
• 3 tbsp olive oil (for lemon cheese mixture)
• 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter

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 or 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 though.

How to Make Lemon Pasta with Spinach

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

Preparation

Preparation is the key to making this recipe quickly and easily. Start by zesting 1 whole lemon. Then squeeze the juice from both lemons into a small bowl. 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.

Making the Pasta

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.

Bring the saucepan to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and the crushed garlic and saute until browned on both sides. Remove the garlic from the pan. Add the spinach and wilt for 1 minute. Push the spinach to the side of the pan and add butter. This will make sure the spinach doesn't soak up all the butter.

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. 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 chicken cutlets! I love to have it with cutlets and a serving of green beans or asparagus. Nothing like some grilled lemon asparagus.

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. But luckily, this dish is so quick to make from the start, so you can make it fresh in less than 30 minutes!

Lemon pasta is a classic Italian dish. Share it with your family or your lover and I guarantee they will love it! Let us know what you think about the recipe below by leaving a comment or review. Follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice or Tiktok @alwaysfromscratch.

Try some other quick pasta recipes like these!

Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Simple Pasta with Eggplant

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Pasta with Spinach

A bright and creamy dish with lemon butter sauce and spinach. A perfect dish for a quick weeknight meal.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: quick pasta

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 400kcal

Cost: $10

Equipment

• 1 large saucepan
• 1 4 qt pot

Ingredients

• ½ lb spaghetti
• 2 lemons
• ½ cup pecorino romano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil (for spinach)
• 3 tablespoon olive oil (for lemon cheese mixture)
• 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter

Instructions

• Zest 1 whole lemon. Then squeeze the juice from both lemons into a small bowl. Combine pecorino romano, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add 3 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
• 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.
• Bring a saucepan to medium heat. add 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and saute until browned on both sides. Remove the garlic. Add the spinach and wilt for 1 minute. Push the spinach to the side of the pan and add butter. Once melted add your spaghetti and mix it with the spinach. Remove from the heat and 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.