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–+ servings
Close-up of baked pasta mixed with spaghetti and rigatoni, topped with melted cheese and fresh parsley, ideal for Pasta Recipes Meal Prep.

Simple Lemon Garlic Pasta

This recipe makes a quick and flavorful lemon garlic pasta suitable for meal prepping. It is a light dish that tastes good cold or reheated.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 12 ounces Spaghetti or linguine
Sauce Components
  • 1/4 cup Olive oil Extra virgin
  • 4 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1/2 cup Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes Adjust to taste
  • 1/2 cup Pasta water Reserved
  • 1/4 cup Fresh parsley Chopped
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Grated, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon Salt Or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper Freshly ground

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large skillet

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
  3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
  4. Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the skillet with the lemon garlic mixture. Toss to coat.
  5. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss continuously until the sauce emulsifies slightly and coats the pasta well. Add more pasta water if the sauce seems too dry.
  6. Stir in the fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  7. Divide the pasta into four meal prep containers. This pasta tastes good warm or at room temperature.

Notes

For added protein, you can mix in 1 cup of shredded cooked chicken or 1 can of drained chickpeas when you add the parsley.

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