Lemon Pasta with Spinach

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 Spiedini or 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 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 heavy cream, I'm happy. Try this dish or Pasta Primavera with Broccoli and Asparagus and you won't be disappointed.

Creamy and lemon just texture and flavor 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 though.

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

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 spaghetti 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.

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.

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