Vegan Lemon Pasta

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:

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.

(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.

(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. 

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.

More Pasta Recipes to Enjoy

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment with a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!