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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Vegan Lemon Pasta

Published: Mar 17, 2023 by Lexi

25 shares
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Overhead of the finished lemon pasta plated and served with wine.

This Vegan Lemon Pasta is quick and easy to make, ready in just 30 minutes. A creamy dairy free ricotta and parmesan sauce pairs perfectly with bright lemon zest, garlic and fresh herbs for flavorful dinner that the whole family will love.

Overhead of the finished vegan lemon pasta in a skillet topped with lemon zest and herbs.
Top with more lemon zest and parsley for extra flavor.

With spring on the horizon, we're ready to move away from heavier dishes and towards lighter, more refreshing options. This vegan lemon pasta totally hits the spot, packed with citrusy flavor from both the lemon zest and juice. It's light, creamy, and perfect for a spring weeknight dinner.

The best part? This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and only requires 11 ingredients to make. It's also meal-prep friendly so you can enjoy it all week long.

Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Instructions
  • Tips and FAQs
  • More Pasta Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Creamy, lemony sauce: Made with dairy free ricotta, parmesan, milk, lemon zest and lemon juice, the base of this pasta comes together so quickly and it's absolutely packed with flavor!
  • Easy weeknight dinner: Perhaps the best part about this recipe is that it comes together in under 30 minutes, perfect for an easy weeknight meal!
  • Vegan and gluten free friendly: This vegan lemon pasta is naturally dairy free and can be made gluten free with an easy swap of your favorite gluten free pasta.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan lemon pasta:

Vegan lemon pasta ingredients including vegan ricotta and lemon juice.
If you're not vegan, feel free to use regular dairy products.

Ingredient Notes

  • Pasta: We used casarecce pasta in this recipe but feel free to swap it out with fusilli, penne, or any shape you prefer. Use gluten free if needed!
  • Pasta water: Make sure to salt the water prior to boiling (we add 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water). It's important to save some of the pasta water for later use (we ended up using about ½ cup), which makes the sauce extra creamy and helps loosen it up if it thickens up too much.
  • Lemon juice and zest: Since this is the star ingredient of this pasta, make sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice! And don't skip the zest - it adds a TON of flavor.
  • Parsley: We wouldn't recommend subbing in dried parsley in this recipe – fresh is really needed to flavor the sauce.
  • Vegan cheese: You can use any brand you like for the ricotta and parmesan in this recipe. A few brands we love and recommend include Follow Your Heart for parmesan and Kite Hill for vegan ricotta.
  • Lemon pepper seasoning: If you can't find/don't have lemon pepper seasoning, add in an additional 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon zest, a bit more salt, and ½-3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
  • Salt: We use Diamond brand kosher salt. If you choose to use fine grain sea salt or table salt, they are a finer grain so you will most likely want to start with a little less salt and then taste and adjust the recipe if needed.

Instructions

PREP: Cook the pasta in 3 quarts of salted water until al dente (2 minutes shy of the recommended cooking time). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.

(1) Add ricotta, ½ of the milk, salt and lemon pepper seasoning to a bowl and whisk well. 

(2) Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often so the garlic does not burn.

Left: whisking the ricotta and milk together. Right: cooking the garlic in a skillet.
Make sure to whisk the ricotta and milk well to remove any lumps.

(3) Add in the lemon juice and zest and stir well.

(4) Whisk in the ricotta/milk mixture and the remaining milk. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium.

Left: adding the lemon juice and zest into the garlic mix. Right: whisking in the ricotta milk mixture.
Nothing better than the fragrant smell of garlic and lemon. A true kitchen delight!

(5) Add in the cooked pasta and parsley, tossing well to coat. If adding in frozen peas, add 1 ½ cups now and stir well.

Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, add in a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water until it reaches desired consistency. For a creamier pasta, you can use up to ¾ cup of reserved pasta water.  

Top with parmesan (and more parsley + lemon zest) and serve warm. 

Left: adding the pasta and peas into the skillet. Right: finished vegan lemon pasta.
Throw in a vegetable like peas or spinach for an extra serving of vegetables.

Tips and FAQs

  • Storage: While this vegan lemon pasta is served best right away, leftovers will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge.
  • Don't overcook the pasta: Make sure to cook your pasta al dente, as it continues to cook slightly after it comes off the stove. If overcooked, the pasta may be too soft and mushy, which isn't ideal for this recipe.
  • Use a large pan: It's best to use a large pan so you can easily toss the pasta into the sauce without it falling out.
  • Reheating: To reheat leftovers, feel free to add a few tablespoons of milk to a pan with the pasta to loosen it up. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Add a vegetable: We love adding 1-2 cups of vegetables, like frozen peas, asparagus, zucchini, spinach or broccoli. Peas are my personal favorite (and they don't require any extra cooking if you use frozen!). If using a vegetable that requires cooking, add them in with the garlic and sauté until tender.
  • Add a protein: Feel free to add a protein like white beans, mushrooms, grilled chicken, salmon, or sausage to make this a full meal.
Overhead of the finished lemon pasta plated and served with wine.
Quick, easy, creamy, and delicious. You'd never guess it's vegan!

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    French Onion Pasta
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  • Overhead view of hummus pasta with veggies.
    Quick Hummus Pasta with Veggies
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    Pasta al Forno

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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Overhead of the finished vegan lemon pasta in a skillet.

Vegan Lemon Pasta


  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This Vegan Lemon Pasta is quick and easy to make, ready in just 30 minutes. A creamy dairy free ricotta and parmesan sauce pairs perfectly with bright lemon zest, garlic and fresh herbs for flavorful dinner that the whole family will love.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 12 ounces pasta of choice (reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water)
  • ¼ cup vegan butter
  • 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely minced
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • 2 cups nondairy milk (we used oat milk)
  • 4 ounces vegan ricotta
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in 3 quarts of salted water until al dente (2 minutes shy of the recommended cooking time). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
  2. Add ricotta, ½ of the milk, salt and lemon pepper seasoning to a bowl and whisk well. 
  3. Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often so the garlic does not burn.
  4. Add in the lemon juice and zest and stir well. Whisk in the ricotta/milk mixture and the remaining milk. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium.
  5. Add in the cooked pasta and parsley, tossing well to coat. Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, add in a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water until it reaches desired consistency. For a creamier pasta, you can use up to ¾ cup of reserved pasta water.  
  6. Top with parmesan (and more parsley + lemon zest) and serve warm. 

Notes

Lemon pepper seasoning: If you can't find/don't have lemon pepper seasoning, add in an additional 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon zest, a bit more salt, and ½-3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. 

Pasta water: Make sure to salt the water prior to boiling (we add 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water). It's important to save some of the pasta water for later use (we ended up using about ½ cup), which makes the sauce extra creamy and helps loosen it up if it thickens up too much.

Add a vegetable: We love adding 1-2 cups of vegetables, like frozen peas, asparagus, zucchini, spinach or broccoli. Peas are my personal favorite (and they don't require any extra cooking if you use frozen!). If using a vegetable that requires cooking, add them in with the garlic and sauté until tender.

Storage: Store for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat leftovers, add a few tablespoons of milk to a pan with the pasta to loosen it up. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 340
  • Sugar: 3.6 g
  • Sodium: 349.3 mg
  • Fat: 13.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.8 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 9.1 g

Keywords: vegan lemon pasta

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