Spring is in the air. Time to make some pasta with lemon garlic butter! This quick and easy recipe is loaded with fresh ingredients.
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Pasta with Lemon Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry pasta (shorter varieties work best like penne, macaroni, fusilli, and cavatappi)
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 3-4 teaspoons butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente or preferred tenderness. Before draining the pasta, take out 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the asparagus. You have a few options here. You can roast it, boil it, grill it, or steam it.* Take the asparagus off the heat once it's finished cooking. Try to make sure you undercook it so it doesn't get overcooked during the next step.
- In a large skillet, add the asparagus, butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you're adding. Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta into the skillet with the asparagus and stir until everything is well combined. Add the lemon juice and serve warm. You can also top the pasta with parmesan cheese.
Notes
This recipe is awesome for spring and summer when fresh vegetables are in season. Add in some broccoli, green peas, or spinach for more greenery. To make this a complete and filling meal, you can add some chicken, salmon, tofu, or even try it with some tuna. If you’re interested in a similar recipe, check out the pasta primavera recipe.
Tips and Tricks for Pasta with Lemon Garlic Butter
Short Pasta Works Best
I find this recipe works the best with the shorter varieties. Try using macaroni, penne, fusilli, small shells, or farfalle. If you only have linguine, fettuccini, spaghetti, or other long pasta, on hand, it’ll still work so don’t fret. I just find the flavours work better with the smaller pasta.
Experiment With Different Veggies
Here’s a list of veggies that go well with pasta with lemon garlic butter. Mix and match to your heart’s content. Below, is a small list to get the gears rolling. If you’d like to get really fancy, here’s a huge list of vegetables complete from A-Z.
- Bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Green beans
- Green onions
- Green peas
- Kale
- Spinach
- Yellow squash
The Importance of Pasta Water
As mentioned under the recipe notes, pasta water is something you take out right before you’re about to drain your pasta. Take a liquid measuring cup (preferably a glass measuring cup) and remove some of the pasta water from the pot.
The pasta water will help thicken your sauce and the starchy liquid will also enhance some of the flavours.
Fresh Is Best
As always, it’s best if you use fresh ingredients in your creations. Freshly grated parmesan is way better than the canned stuff. Fresh herbs are more flavourful than dried spices.
Make Sure Your Pot or Skillet Is Large Enough
Since you’re mixing all the ingredients together at the end, you’ll want to make sure you have enough room for all of your ingredients to mix and mingle. I personally prefer a large skillet, but you can also mix it together in the pasta pot once the pasta has been cooked and drained.
Don’t Rinse Your Pasta
After you’ve drained the pasta, don’t resort to rinsing them. You’ll want the starches left on the pasta, as they’ll help the sauce stick. The only time you want to rinse pasta after cooking is if they’re rice noodles or if you’re using them to make some sort of pasta salad.
If you’d like, you can also stir in some olive oil or butter afterwards to prevent all the pasta from sticking together.
Stir Your Pasta
After you’ve added the pasta to the boiling water, you’ll want to give it a quick stir and stir it occasionally until it’s done cooking. This will help to separate the pasta.
One time, I rushed around trying to get dinner ready and totally forgot to stir the pasta after I put it in. Yea. Ask me how that went. I had a giant clump at the end.
The Side Pieces for Pasta with Lemon Garlic Butter
If you’re adding a protein source, the recipe is quite filling. Every meal needs a side piece though, so here are a few ideas for your feast.
- Arugula or spinach salad
- Baguette with butter or other spread
- Breadsticks
- Caesar salad
- Caprese salad
- Cheesy bread
- Consommé or other soup
- Cornbread
- Garlic bread
Variations for Pasta with Lemon Garlic Butter
- For a gluten free version, you can use gluten free pasta instead of regular pasta.
- Add in lemon zest for extra flavour
- Stir in other spices or fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano, or thyme
- Top pasta with parmesan cheese or other cheese of choice
- You can also add in a splash of chicken broth or veggie broth to the sauce
Vegan Corner
This recipe is already vegan if you’re using vegan butter. You can add in tofu if you’d like for extra flavour and protein.