This vegan lemon pasta is the ultimate weeknight dinner – super quick and easy, made with the most basic ingredients, creamy, delicious and comforting, yet still 100% plant based.

Lemon pasta, or pasta al limone in Italian, is a super easy recipe for a pasta that’s creamy and comforting, yet still super light and refreshing. The list of ingredients is short, but they complement each other perfectly, delivering a fresh lemony flavour with a hint of garlic.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Vegan Lemon Pasta

Pasta – long pasta types, such as spaghetti, linguine or bavette, work best in this recipe.

Olive oil – the higher the quality of your oil, the better the recipe will turn out. Great olive oil doesn’t just work as a fat, but gives pasta a distinct flavour and takes it to the next level.

Garlic – perfect for adding flavour and aroma to any recipe, but it pairs especially well with lemon.

Lemon – for a strong, citrus flavour, use both lemon juice and zest. Make sure to choose unwaxed, organic lemons when you’re using the peel as well.

Vegan cheese – optional, but it makes the pasta extra creamy.

Plant-based milk – use any kind you prefer. For a creamier sauce, opt for those with higher fat content.

Salt – to season the pasta water and for the sauce.

Basil – gives the pasta an extra layer of flavour and a nice pop of green colour.

How to Make Vegan Lemon Pasta

Step One – Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt and cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package instructions.

Step Two – Make the Sauce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Make sure the garlic doesn’t turn brown. Add the vegan cheese and stir until it melts, then pour in the milk. Let it simmer while stirring constantly until it thickens into a sauce. Remove the sauce from heat, add lemon juice and zest, and season with salt.

Step Three – Serve

Stir in the cooked and drained pasta, and add the fresh basil leaves.

Tips to Make Sure This Pasta Turns Out Great

Chop the garlic finely or mash it – it’s essential that there are no pieces of garlic left in the final fish. I recommend using a garlic masher for the best texture, but you can also very finely slice or chop the garlic.

Do not burn the garlic – garlic burns very easily, so once you add it to the pan, make sure to keep an eye on it. Turn the heat to low, stir it frequently and don’t let it turn brown.

Reserve the pasta cooking water – to make the pasta creamier, add some of the leftover cooking water to the pasta when you toss it in the pan.