• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Two Purple Figs
  • Home
  • Recipes
        • By Course
          • Appetizer Recipes
          • Main Dishes
            • Chicken
            • Beef
            • Lamb
            • Pasta
            • Pizza
            • Sandwiches
            • Seafood
          • Side Dishes
          • Soups
          • Salads
          • Breakfast Brunch Recipes
          • Desserts
            • Cakes
            • Cheesecakes
            • Cookies
            • Bars & Brownies
            • Muffins
            • Pies
          • Drinks & Smoothies
        • By Method
          • Videos
          • Quick & Easy
          • Air Fryer Recipes
          • Crock Pot Recipes
          • Instant Pot
          • Finger Food
          • Bread Recipes
          • Dips
        • By LifeStyle
          • Gluten Free
          • Vegetarian
          • Vegan
        • By Cuisine
          • American Recipes
          • Asian Recipes
          • Mediterranean Recipes
          • Mexican Recipes
        • By Occasion
          • Easter
          • Holidays
          • Parties
          • Potluck
          • Tailgate
        • All Recipes
  • Recipe Videos
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Newsletter
You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Pasta / Easy and Fresh Garlic Lemon Pasta

Easy and Fresh Garlic Lemon Pasta

May 11, 2017 by Mahy, Updated October 11, 2019 1 Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Garlic Lemon Pasta - Pin

Calling all pasta lovers, you’re in for a treat today! An Easy Garlic Lemon Pasta! Devour this on its own or pair it with ANYthing you’re grilling this season. It’s the type of pasta you’ll whip in minutes start to finish! A dream come true.. 🙂

overhead shot of a bowl of Garlic Lemon Pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese and lemon zest

side view of a plate of garlic lemon pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese and lemon zest

YAAAY for pasta day!! And big YAAY for Spring/Summer fresh pasta dishes like that, like an extra breath of freshness in life!  Weather hasn’t been as warm as I’d like it to be lately, but frankly, we’ve been getting plenty of sunshine in MI so I won’t complain!

Kids are playing outside every day, like every-day. My BBQ is in full swing, grilling about twice a week! And I can’t think of a perfect side dish for grilling season better than this lemon pasta!

Why this easy Garlic Lemon Pasta will be your new favorite pasta dinner in no time: 

My lemon pasta recipe is so incredibly simple. But yet, it makes for an especially elegant dish! 

This easy garlic lemon pasta with arugula comes together within minutes and is popular with kids and adults alike. Serve it warm with grated parmesan or as a pasta salad alongside some chicken or tuna!

The beauty of this garlic lemon pasta is that you can customize it to your menu. What I made today is probably the most basic form, but the additions you can add to jazz this lemon pasta up are endless!

My Mom loves pasta with minimal fuss, no fancy sauces or tons of additions to her pasta—so she wouldn’t change a thing to this recipe 🙂 And honestly, you don’t have to, unless you wanna make it more often. Then you’ll like to play around with ingredients.

This bright and zesty pasta dish would, by the way, be perfect for Mother’s Day!

overhead shot of a bowl of easy Garlic Lemon Pasta topped with grated parmesan

How to make Garlic Lemon Pasta:

pasta being stirred in a skillet

Start by sauteeing some minced garlic, lemon zest, and chili flakes in olive oil. Add in the cooked pasta, a handful of arugula, a touch of grated Parmesan and it’s ready!!

arugula being added to a skillet with pasta

This lemon pasta is amazing as it is, but you can up the protein by adding some tuna. YES good old canned tuna, drained and added in chunks over the pasta.

A nutritious pasta lunch or dinner that’s super delicious and comforting! I probably could eat this lemon past every day.

If you’re thinking of a vegan/vegetarian option, go for chickpeas, navy beans, black beans, and even tofu as add-ins. They add pretty much the same protein, yet totally vegan.

Another thing you can do is make this awesome lemon pasta and serve it warm or cold, like a pasta salad. While it has a nice punch of garlic and lemon flavors, you can still drizzle it with a bright lemon-olive oil-basil dressing to just brighten it up even more.

I would add cherry tomatoes, some cucumbers, scallions, chickpeas, and basil. Pasta Salad Perfection. Trust me, this lemon pasta will definitely make its’ way into your life so many times this season!

overhead shot of a bowl of lemon pasta topped with grated parmesan and lemons and herbs on the side

Served as a pasta salad, this lemon pasta is the perfect easy recipe for potlucks, picnics, work lunches, and just every day make-ahead dinners! The other day we had our first picnic of the season and it was at a friends’s farm. I made plenty of lemon pasta (minus the chili flakes), put it in a box and we went off.

When it was lunch time, everyone got excited about pasta. But the best part was watching how everyone ate their pasta!

side view of a bowl of Easy Garlic Lemon Pasta with arugula, lemon zest and parmesan

Some kids and adults ate the garlic lemon pasta just the way it was. Another group added a handful of cherry tomatoes, bocconcini and a squirt of lemon.

Some added grilled chicken, more Parmesan or herbs. Everyone basically made this pasta dish their own, which was amazing because the bottom line was that everyone enjoyed it so much!! Oh and I’m sure you will too!!

Tips for success: 

  • Think of this pasta as a canvas – you can add more veggies, cheese, tuna, chicken, chickpeas – whatever you want.
  • Pasta purists will love it plain, fresh out of the skillet, with a grating of parmesan cheese and some lemon zest on top.
  • This lemon pasta can be served cold, as a pasta salad. Leftovers can easily be turned into a salad by drizzling it with a simple lemon juice & olive oil vinaigrette.
overhead shot of Garlic Lemon Pasta in a bowl topped with grated parmesan cheese
3.65 from 14 votes
Print

Easy and Fresh Garlic Lemon Pasta

This easy garlic lemon pasta with arugula comes together within minutes and is popular with kids and adults alike. Serve it warm with grated parmesan or as a pasta salad alongside some chicken or tuna! 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword easy pasta skillet, lemon pasta, pasta with garlic and lemon
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 2 serving
Calories 889 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

  • 1 box pasta (any shape you prefer), 375 g
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 lemon zested
  • 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup arugula
  • grated parmesan (optional for topping)
  • lemon zest (optional for topping)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pasta according to instructions on the box.

    In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and lemon zest.

  2. Sautee the garlic and lemon zest for a few seconds until they get fragrant, add the chili spice, the pasta, and salt.

  3. Toss the pasta with all the fragrant garlic and lemon, then add the arugula and toss the lemon pasta for another 30 seconds over medium heat and then serve it right away!

    Sprinkle with Parmesan and extra lemon zest (if needed). Enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

  • Think of this pasta as a canvas - you can add more veggies, cheese, tuna, chicken, chickpeas - whatever you want.
  • Pasta purists will love it plain, fresh out of the skillet, with a grating of parmesan cheese and some lemon zest on top. 
  • This lemon pasta can be served cold, as a pasta salad. Leftovers can easily be turned into a salad by drizzling it with a simple lemon juice & olive oil vinaigrette. 
Nutrition Facts
Easy and Fresh Garlic Lemon Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 bowl)
Calories 889 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 167mg7%
Potassium 613mg18%
Carbohydrates 174g58%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 310IU6%
Vitamin C 31mg38%
Calcium 83mg8%
Iron 3.4mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Related Posts

Spicy Chunky Tuna Sandwich. Try this No Mayo No Mush--just Pure Spice and Flavor Chunky Tuna Salad with a zesty spicy sauce and plenty of toppings! This will be your favorite Tuna Sandwich ever! www.twopurplefigs.comSpicy Tuna Sandwich Quick One-Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta Dinner. YES for easy, delicious and energy saving dinners!! TEN minutes only and it's all yours! www.twopurplefigs.comInstant Pot Chicken Pasta Dinner close up of a tuna salad recipe in a wooden bowl showing large chinks of tuna, boiled egs, olives, corn, avocados, tomatoes, apples, spinach and fresh herbsTuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing Summer Pasta Salad Platter With Sweet Tea Dressing. This will be our go to BBQ, picnic, potluck and all Summer long favorite! Platter style make your own pasta salad and an amazing herb sweet tea dressing to drizzle, plus get tips for throwing the perfect BBQ party! #SummerTastes www.twopurplefigs.comSummer Pasta Salad Platter With Sweet Tea Dressing
897 shares
  • Share4
  • Yummly
  • Email
  • WhatsApp

Filed Under: Holidays, Parties, Pasta, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Barilla pasta, easy pasta, easy pasta recipe, easy pasta recipes, garlic pasta, healthy pasta, lemon garlic pasta, lemon pasta, lemon pasta recipe, pasta recipe, pasta salad, pasta salad recipe, quick pasta recipes, vegan, vegan pasta

Previous Post: « Caramel Spiked Chocolate Donut Holes
Next Post: Homemade Ice Cream Pops »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mahy

    May 15, 2017 at 11:44 am

    Thanks Denise! It’s just pure delicious simplicity! 🙂

    Reply
3.65 from 14 votes (14 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search for a recipe

Mahy PicHi, I'm Mahy, a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, photographer, wife and busy mom! Welcome to my blog!...Read More

Never Miss a Post!

subscribe and receive fresh recipes to your inbox

Share the Love

As Featured On

Search by category

Footer

Footer logo

About

About Mahy

Sign up to Newsletter

Work with Me

Contact

Recipes

By Life Style

By Course

By Method

By Cuisine

By Occasion

All Recipes

Copyright © 2025 · Privacy Policy

All images and content are copyright protected. Please contact me if you would like to use any images . If you want to republish any of my recipes, please link back to my website and the recipe post.

»
«

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.