Pasta night shouldn’t feel like rocket science, but sometimes it does, with mushy noodles, overcooked broccoli, or sauce that just doesn’t sing. That’s exactly why I created this one-pot lemon gemelli pasta: a simple, foolproof way to fix all that in one dish.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Stepharoo raved, “One of the best tasting pastas I have ever eaten. And so quick and easy to make. Thank you for this, Our family will definitely be adding this pasta to the regular dinner rotation.”
Why You Will Love Garlic Lemon Pasta
Growing up in a big family, pasta was always on the table; it stretched to feed us all and, honestly, it’s in our DNA. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t made my fair share of mistakes (hello, overcooked noodles and limp broccoli). The good news? Those flops taught me the best tricks for perfectly cooked pasta, crisp-tender broccoli, and the creamiest lemon-garlic sauce.
This recipe is for anyone who wants an easy weeknight pasta that feels special without a lot of fuss. And I’ll be right here cheering you on, with all of the best tips and tricks remembering my own family pasta nights where even the kitchen fails turned into laughter.
This recipe is part of Lemon Week, hosted by Fresh April Flours and Devour Dinner. It’s sponsored by Rodelle and La Tourangelle. I received product samples, but all opinions are my own.
What is Gemelli Pasta?
Gemelli refers to the shape of the pasta itself. It is two short strands of pasta that are twisted together. This pasta shape holds the flavor of whatever sauce you pair it with. And it is easier than others to cook to the perfect “al dente.”
Gemelli Pasta Ingredients
- Gemelli Pasta | This is the best shape to hold all the pasta sauce flavors. But feel free to get creative with your pasta shape, any short pasta will work, but angel hair pasta or other long pastas will work too!
- Broth of Choice | Cooking the pasta in broth instead of cooking water infuses the flavor throughout the pasta; this was a game changer for me! Choose your favorite chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Heavy Cream | I use heavy cream for this recipe, but you can substitute it with half-and-half. I do not recommend whole milk as it tends to break up.
- Parmesan Cheese | This recipe uses Parmesan Cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Grana Padano Parmesan. Grana is slightly sweeter.
- Herbs | Italian Parsley and fresh garlic make this dish sing!
- Veggies | Baby spinach, broccoli, and artichoke hearts are perfect for lemon pasta!
- Lemon | Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice for this creamy garlic pasta.
- La Tourangelle White Truffle Oil | I joined La Tourangelle to create this recipe using their truffle oil for the perfect ending to this fantastic garlic pasta dish. A little drizzle is all you need!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
What is La Tourangelle Truffle Oil?
The company La Tourangelle makes a deliciously aromatic artisan truffle oil that is so good drizzled over the pasta just before serving! It has all the complex notes of woods, earth, and fruit authentic to the Italian White Alba Truffle. Made with sunflower oil, it pours beautifully.
Recommended Equipment
A sturdy heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven works best, about a 4-quart is perfect so the pasta cooks evenly. And don’t forget a microplane for zesting lemons and grating cheese; it’s my favorite!
How to Make Lemon Garlic Pasta
Step 1 | Boiling the Pasta
In a Dutch oven or a deep pot, dump the pasta right in. Then add the broth and minced garlic to the pot and boil it on high heat. Once it has reached a rolling boil, reduce the heat, cover the pasta, and cook it according to the pasta package directions. You want it to be al dente pasta. Depending on your broth, I recommend adding the salt at the end of this recipe.
The liquid will reduce as the pasta boils and absorbs the salty garlic broth. Ladle some out to reserve for the creamy noodle sauce if there is too much leftover.
Step 2 | Prep the Ingredients
While the pasta is cooking away, juice the lemon, rinse and chop the broccoli, strain the artichokes, chop the parsley, and grate the cheese, we love our microplane.
Step 3 | Add in More Flavor
Zesting the lemon right into the pot with the Gemelli pasta heightens and brightens the flavor, and the fresh lemon juice adds that lemony goodness.
Step 4 | Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce and Veggies
Time for the broccoli. (See my fresh tips on cooking broccoli just right.) Pour in the heavy cream and put the broccoli in the pasta, and cover, allowing the broccoli to steam a bit.
Then you can add in the spinach and artichoke and stir.
Step 5 | Garnish and Serve
To finish: add the grated and shaved parmesan cheese and mix it until melted and creamy. I also have a bit more on hand to garnish the top. Now is a great time to take a taste, add salt and pepper to taste!
Then serve it up with a sprinkling of chopped parsley, a lovely lemon wedge, a healthy drizzling of the truffle oil and a dusting of parmesan cheese or some shaved parmesan.
Lemon Pasta Recipe Variations
- White Wine | Add a splash of white wine or Prosecco before adding the cream to this garlic lemon pasta recipe, similar to my Bow Tie Pasta Recipe.
- Vegetables | Fresh green veggies add nicely to this easy lemon pasta recipe. Try peas or zucchini. Mushrooms would be yummy, too.
- Protein | Make it a hearty weeknight dinner by adding some grilled or baked salmon, succulent shrimp, grilled, blackened, or crispy chicken slices, or perhaps a juicy steak hot off the grill.
- Capers | Capers add that salty flavor and elevate any simple pasta dish.
- Tomatoes | Flavor and color!
- Nuts or Seeds | Try toasted pine nuts, pepitas, sliced almonds, or walnuts to garnish your finished plate.
- Fresh Herbs | garnish with any of a variety of herbs like fresh parsley, dill, oregano, fresh basil and more.
- Sweet Peppers | I found these mini sweet pepper drops in our deli olive bar at the grocery store; they add the perfect sweet heat!
Substitutions for Garlic Lemon Pasta
- Make it Gluten-Free | Use a good gluten-free penne (I like Barilla). I haven’t found a GF gemelli yet, but as long as your broth is GF and you grate your own cheese, you’re all set!
- Vegan Lemon Garlic Pasta | Skip the cream and cheese, try nutritional yeast or your favorite vegan cheese instead. For the creaminess, use almond milk, oat milk, or cashew cream for a delicious vegan twist.
- Spice it Up | Add red pepper or chili flakes to the cream sauce, start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to taste. Remember, the heat builds as they cook!
- Add Pesto | A couple of tablespoons of pesto will brighten the flavors even more!
Tips for Cooking Broccoli with Pasta
For crisp-tender broccoli, add during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For softer broccoli, add at the start with the pasta or steam separately and stir in.
What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Pasta Recipe
Try this Sous Vide Chicken Breast for a complete meal. Or try Instant Pot Whole Chicken. Remember; 30-minute meal!
You can even use this as a side dish for my Coconut Lime Chicken for a summer meal. Or simply grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred the meat for an easy protein add-in.
Love shrimp? Add the last few minutes of cooking the pasta until done and don’t forget the Garlic toast!
Storage Tips
To store this creamy lemon vegetable pasta, place the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: I do not usually recommend putting creamy pasta dinners in the freezer as the cream doesn’t freeze well. However if you cannot avoid, it’s better to freeze than to toss, when re-heating, you might want to add a splash of cream and a little extra parmesan stirring into the hot pasta.
Reheating Tips
Then just warm it in the microwave or in a medium saucepan over medium heat to enjoy it again. To help the sauce coat the pasta again, add a splash of broth, the reserved starchy water, or cream and stir.
Lemon Garlic Pasta FAQs
If you are fresh out of the Gemelli shape, you can use penne or fusilli.
Freshly grated parmesan melts better than pre-grated cheeses, which have anti-caking agents that may hinder the melting process. So, I prefer freshly grated cheese. That said, I like to at least buy a high quality grated parmesan cheese when I am in a pinch.
They sure are. Lemon and garlic are often used together in salad dressings and more. And the garlic turns so buttery delicious when it cooks!
I like to add a squeezing of lemon to the finish of my Air Fryer Asparagus and many of the seafood and chicken dishes I serve.
This lemon garlic pasta pairs beautifully with so many proteins! Try it with pan-seared chicken, juicy shrimp, or flaky salmon for a classic combo. If you’re craving something heartier, thinly sliced steak is delicious too, and for a vegetarian option, white beans, chickpeas, or crispy tofu work too.
If you know you will have leftovers, save the excess starchy pasta water in an airtight container in the fridge. Then you can pull it out and use the reserved pasta water to reconstitute the creamy sauce.
I am featuring a brand-new lemon recipe every day this week! Try them all! Easy Lemonade Bundt cake with cream cheese frosting, Pink Lemonade Vodka Cocktail, Lemon Dump Cake, and Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake.
Recipe adapted from Food Dolls.
More One Pot Dinners – Creamy Bow Tie Pasta Recipe, this One Pot Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe or this popular Instant Pot Jambalaya.
What to serve with Gemelli Pasta
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Gemelli pasta (or use pasta of choice, note this is half a bag)
- 2 cups chicken broth may sub with vegetable broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup heavy cream may use half and half
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese fresh shaved (or increase above to ½ cup)
- ⅛-¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
- ½ lemon zest zest whole lemon and use half to garnish
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed, about ½ a lemon
- 1 crown broccoli chopped small (optional)
- 15 ounce artichoke hearts brine or marinated, quartered (optional)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- La Tourangelle White Truffle Oil drizzle if desired, for serving
- ½-1 teaspoon kosther salt Optional, try the pasta before adding if you are watching your salt.
Instructions
- Pour pasta into a deep pot or 4 quart dutch oven (larger if doubling). Add minced garlic and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook pasta according to package directions, al-dente. See notes for broccoli if adding.
- When pasta is cooked, you should only have a little broth left, if too much, ladle some out and reserve. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, give it a good stir.
- Add heavy cream and the spinach and artichoke hearts if using and stir to wilt, covering the top if needed.
- Finally stir in the Italian parsley, reserving a little for garnish, then grated parmesan cheese, mixing it in to melt. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Serve with a little chopped parsley, a lemon wedge, leftover lemon zest, a drizzle of truffle oil and shaved parmesan.
Notes
- Crisp | Chop your broccoli into thin and smaller stalks without actually chopping it finely. Stir into pasta mixture before adding cream, cover, and allow to steam for 2-3 minutes.
- Crisp Tender | With broccoli chopped smaller as above, add to noodles during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Be sure to cover.
- Fork Tender | Again, chop broccoli smaller, add to noodles the entire time they cook, and be sure to keep the lid covered for the whole time.
- Steaming | If preferred, steam the broccoli separate to your desired doneness, then just stir into the pasta.
Nutrition
Wednesday #LemonWeek Recipes
- Lemon Curd Layer Cake by Fresh April Flours
- Lemon Poke Cake by Blogghetti
- Lemonade Cake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Crepes with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone by Art Of Natural Living
- Braided Lemon Bread with Blackberries by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Chicken Costoletta by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Lemon Lush by Devour Dinner
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars by Best Cookie Recipes
- Lemon Pudding Cake by The Freshman Cook
- Lemon Cheesecake Bombs by Simply Inspired Meals
- One Pot Lemon Garlic Pasta Recipe by The Fresh Cooky
- Lemon Loaf Cake by A Day In The Life On The Farm
- Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Pudding Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
- Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars by An Affair From The Heart
- Mini Lemon Cheesecakes by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
- Lemon Sorbet by Jen Around The World
- Lemon Blueberry Waffles by Lemon Blossoms
- Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Home Cooked Harvest
- Lemon Rosemary Marmalade by That Recipe
- Lemon Crepes by The Redhead Baker
- Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake by Jonesin’ For A Taste
- Lemon Coriander Soup by Magical Ingredients
DK
This creamy pasta really hits the spot. It’s rich, savory and incredibly satisfying. And that truffle oil – absolutely superb!
Just brings a special touch doesn’t it?!
Alison Corey
That sounds absolutely fantastic! A garlic lemon pasta recipe that’s ready in less than 30 minutes—what’s not to love? It’s wonderful when you can whip up a delicious and satisfying meal in such a short amount of time.
Agreed!!!
Kerri
This pasta is so good!! Loved how simple yet delicious the recipe was!
Thanks so much Kerri!!
Jackie Garvin
The flavor profile of this recipe is incredible. Lemon and pasta is always right. Nicely done!
Thanks so much!
Jackie Garvin
The flavor profile is incredible. Wonderful recipe. Lemon and pasta is always a winner.
Ned
This dish was so light, delicious and easy to make. Loved everything about it. Thank you!
Thanks so much Ned!
Stefarooh
One of the best tasting pastas I have ever eaten. And so quick and easy to make. Thank you for this, Our family will definitely be adding this pasta to the regular dinner rotation.
Love to read this! Thank you so much!