Creamy Lemon Spinach Spaghetti (Printable)

Thin spaghetti tossed in luscious lemon cream sauce with fresh spinach. A light, tangy, and indulgent pasta dish ready in 25 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 ounces thin spaghetti
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Vegetables

03 - 7 ounces fresh baby spinach
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - Juice of 1 large lemon

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Extra lemon zest
12 - Additional Parmesan cheese for serving

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
03 - Add the fresh baby spinach to the skillet and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until completely wilted. Stir in the lemon zest.
04 - Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, allowing the cheese to melt and the sauce to thicken slightly.
05 - Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet, tossing thoroughly to coat in the cream sauce. Gradually add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky, creamy consistency.
06 - Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra lemon zest and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • Perfect balance of rich and refreshing, never feeling too heavy
  • Uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen
02 -
  • The sauce thickens quickly as it cools, so it should look slightly looser in the pan than you want on the plate
  • Lemon intensity varies wildly by season and variety, always add half the juice first, taste, then adjust from there
03 -
  • Save extra pasta water even if you think you won't need it, better to have it and not use it than to scramble for liquid at the last minute
  • Room temperature cream incorporates more smoothly than cold cream, so take it out of the fridge while you prep your other ingredients
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