A refreshing pasta dish flavored with garlic, olive oil, fresh cilantro, lemon, and Parmesan.
Many of my creations in the kitchen are an outcome of throwing all my about-to-expire ingredients into one saucepan and seeing what happens. Sometimes it tastes awful, such as when I thought I was on to something when combining pasta with chocolate, but other times it tastes like magic—which is how this pasta came to be. It turned out so good that it’s now one of my favorite light and easy meals.
This pasta is similar to the well-known pasta aglio e olio, which is made with olive oil and garlic, but I did make a few adjustments; instead of parsley I’m using cilantro, I add both lemon juice and zest, and rather than just sprinkling Parmesan on top of every dish, I mix some with the pasta for plenty of extra flavor.
The lemon taste isn’t strong, and its subtlety helps to make this dish refreshing and fragrant, but you can add more of it if you want. Personally, I just don’t like the sour taste it gives when adding too much of it.
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Lemon Cilantro Pasta
Ingredients
- 450 g/1 pound pasta (fettuccine or spaghetti are recommended)
- Salt
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 large cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Grated zest from ½ small lemon
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ½ – 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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To make the pasta: In a large pot, bring 4 quarts/liters of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, followed by the pasta. Cook until al dente (i.e., slightly firm to the bite, not crunchy nor soft). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.
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As the pasta boils, make the sauce: In a large skillet (large enough to accommodate the pasta), heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and tender, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes. Carefully add the reserved pasta cooking water in a slow stream, and simmer until water has reduced by about a third, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon table salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cooked pasta, and toss. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and Parmesan (start with ½ cup and add more as you wish).
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Serve immediately.
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Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3 days.
LILY says
I TRIED UR RECEIPT BUT WHEN I ADDED THE PASTA WATER TO COOKING OIL IT WAS EXPLOSION AND MADE A MESS ALL AROUND…. I LIKE UR RECEIPT BUT HOW TO AVOID EXPLOSION?
Shiran says
Hi Lily, all you need to to do is to make sure that you heat the oil over medium heat, not high, and add the water carefully, in a slow stream.
Carol says
your heat was way too high, turn it down and add slowly like the recipe said.
Janet says
I think I’m going to make this for dinner tomorrow! Just wondered – are the garlic cloves minced? Thanks!
Shiran says
Yes, they are minced. Enjoy!
Luciano Daitzchman says
We have made this recipe several times and it is amazing! Once in a while we add a twist — start by sauteing a pound of shrimp, put the shrimp to the side and follow the recipe. Mix the shrimp at the end.
Shiran says
I’m so glad you enjoy it!
Denise says
How much pasta water? All 4 qts?
Shiran says
Hi Denise, after cooking the pasta you need to reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, and discard the rest. So you need to use 1 cup of water to the pasta.
Carol says
Cook pasta in 4 quarts of water, reserve one cut of pasta water when pasta is cooked, this goes into the sauce, see recipe …..
Michelle Weidema says
I made this and found it dry so wondered if I should have doubled the sauce!
Shiran says
Hi Michelle, you can add more of the cooking water next time, until it’s no longer dry.
Keri Will-del Tufo says
I laughed when I read the intro to this recipe. I google these ingredients because that’s what I wanted to use up! Thanks for doing the work for me!
Iona says
Golly, how delicious! I used feta cheese instead of parmesan and green pea penne instead of tagliatelli…. Mmm! Thank you.
Valerie Morrill says
Darn it, I forgot the water from boiling the pasta! It was delicious though. I added fresh shrimp
MarsKitchen says
Thank you for such a simple delicious meal with gourmet flavour midweek. I sautéed shrimp w the oil & garlic then removed them when they were cooked. Added shrimp back at end with the cilantro.
Andrea Perry says
Absolutely delicious! A simple meal that has the flavor of gourmet! I am adding this dish to my regular meal planning. I added a can of rotel tomatoes to the sauce. Next time I’ll try it with shrimp as others mentioned.
Rebecca says
I just made this for dinner a couple nights ago and it was exactly what I was craving. Very simple to make with ingredients in the house, and the perfect amount of lemon – not bitter or overpowering but still flavorful and lemony! Thanks so much – it will definitely become a meal in regular rotation with our family!
Max G. says
Thank you for the recipe, Shiran.
I would suggest adding more produce as the dish is pasta-centric. Broccoli, bell peppers, diced tomatoes would all be good. Whatever you like and have on hand. The dish is very versatile.
You could also go in the direction of a pesto, adding the olive oil to a handful of walnuts or whatever nuts you have on hand (not peanuts—they’re too potent) and the cilantro and whatever other produce you’d like to add. I wouldn’t suggest tomatoes in the case of pesto. The tomatoes would be too watery.
Try things out. Explore.
Max G. says
*Remember to chop up the pesto in a food processor (preferable) or blender first if you’re going in that direction.
Carol says
Made the pasta according to directions, added the garlic, lemon juice and zest of lemon.
Divided in 1/2.
1st 1/2 will make Scampi with.
2nd 1/2 will add the cilantro and parmesan, serve as a side with baked chicken or pork chops.
Delicious.
NAT says
I need to use 6 tablespoons of oil for the garlic?
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Nat, Yes as this is part of the sauce for the entire pasta.
Cookie says
I want to try this! I’m giving it 5 stars in advance because I just, spur of the moment, added a handful of cilantro to my veggie marinara for spaghetti and let me tell you, it tastes like springtime! It lifts the flavor of sauce and pasta in a fresh new way. Love it!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you so much! That sounds wonderful.
Gideon says
This was AMAZING. Replaced the parmesan with a dairy free cashew/nutritional yeast imitation, and it worked out really well!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Yum! That’s a great dairy-free swap! One of my favorite pasta dishes.
Claire says
Delicious and easy! Thank you!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you for your kind review! 🙂 Cheers!