One-Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta
This One-Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta will be your new favorite 30-minute vegan dinner! This 7-ingredient recipe is quick and easy to make in just one pan. It’s dairy-free, vegan, and easily made gluten-free.
Meet my new favorite quick and easy dinner: creamy, vegan lemon pasta. Easy to make in just ONE pan, done in 30 minutes, and will absolutely make the whole family squeal in happy delight. This one is a people pleaser. Toss in your favorite greens or veggies, serve with a side salad, or devour as-is – anyway, you’ll be happy with this one.
I adore the simplicity of this recipe, both with its ingredients and with the prep! It’s made with ingredients you’ll likely already have on hand, so it’s the perfect meal when you need something on the table ASAP. The pasta cooks right in the creamy lemon sauce, releasing its starch to help create a creamy sauce, which thickens as the pasta absorbs. The whole situation makes this lemon pasta dish SO easy and even more flavorful.
I’m a big fan of lemon in all the ways: on my favorite broccoli, flavoring my favorite lemon cookies, and of course…in this pasta dish :D
Ingredients for Vegan Lemon Pasta
- Pasta of Choice: I eat a gluten-free diet, so I used brown rice spaghetti. If keeping this GF, I recommend a rice-based noodle, which I find tends to hold it’s shape the best.
- Oil or Vegan Butter
- Shallots: you can also use half of a yellow or white onion
- Garlic: a must – I used 3 cloves, but measure garlic with your heart :)
- Vegetable Broth: for extra flavor. If you don’t have it on hand, you can use water + bouillion. Plain water will work as well, but you’ll likely want to add some extra seasonings.
- Coconut Milk: I made this with full-fat coconut milk. Low-fat would likely also do the trick, but would be a little bit less creamy. Once this dish is adequately salted, I don’t find the coconut flavor to come through at all.
- Fresh Lemon Juice & Zest: for the most lemony dish! Don’t forget the zest, which adds a depth of lemon flavor in addition to the tartness
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
How to make one-pot pasta
Full amounts and detailed instructions are in the recipe card below!
To start, you’ll want to saute your aromatics, so add the oil and shallots to the pan. Once the shallots are translucent and fragrant, toss in your garlic and cook for a minute until your house smells delicious.
Pour in your vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir to combine, and add in your pasta. If you’re using spaghetti, it may take a few minutes for it to soften enough to fit into that pan – that’s okay! It will still cook evenly.
Stir every few minutes or so as the pasta absorbs the liquid and starts to form the sauce. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you’re using.
Towards the end of cooking, add in the lemon juice & zest. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and more lemon to taste. You can also add an extra splash of vegetable broth if needed.
Customize this lemon pasta to your tastes:
Here are some ideas to jazz it up even more if you want to add extra veggies or a fun topping…
- Top with toasted breadcrumbs like I did! Recipe is in the Notes section of the recipe card.
- Stir in two cups of mixed greens like arugula, spinach, etc. for an extra veggie boost.
- Add in your favorite roasted veggies like broccoli or cauliflower.
- Serve with your favorite protein. Use crispy tempeh or tofu to keep vegan, or add chicken if you’re not vegan!
What to serve with…
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- The Best Roasted Broccoli
- Vegan Tahini Cauliflower Steaks
- Soft & Chewy Vegan Lemon Cookies
If you try this One-Pot Lemon Pasta and love it as much as I hope you do, let me know what you think in the comments below, and don’t forget to rate the recipe! I’d love to hear your feedback.
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One-Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This One-Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta will be your new favorite 30-minute vegan dinner! It’s quick and easy to make in just one pan. It’s dairy-free, vegan, and easily made gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. regular or gluten-free pasta, I used brown rice spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon oil or vegan butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice from a fresh lemon, plus the zest
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add your chopped shallots to the pan. Once the shallots are translucent and fragrant, toss in the garlic. Cook for a minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir to combine, and add in your pasta. If you’re using spaghetti, it may take a few minutes for it to soften enough to fit into that pan – that’s okay! It will still cook evenly.
- Once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low – it should be simmering but not at a full boil. Stir every few minutes or so as the pasta absorbs the liquid and starts to form the sauce. It will take about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you’re using. Start checking for doneness according to the time your type of pasta calls for.
- Towards the end of cooking, when the liquid is mostly absorbed, add in the lemon juice & zest. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and more lemon to taste. You can also add an extra splash of vegetable broth if needed.
- Once the pasta is fully cooked and at your desired level of sauciness, serve immediately, and top with breadcrumb topping (in the Notes section below) if using. Enjoy!
Notes
For the breadcrumbs: if you want to make it extra fancy, saute about ½ cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed) in one tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat until golden brown. Add a few tablespoons of chopped parsley and the zest of one lemon. Sprinkle over your finished pasta.
Keywords: one-pot pasta, one-pan pasta, easy dinner, lemon pasta, creamy pasta, vegan dinner, vegan pasta
Will be making this soon can i use penne as spaghetti is difficult for me to eat i never had lemon pasta before i love pasta soooooooooooooo much just saw this recipe to my mom to make it perfect for my after office meals sorry i took a break from commenting on your recipes as busy with work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hi Ramya! Yes, you can use any kind of pasta shape that you like! :) Hope you love it.
Great, quick recipe. Started just after 5 and had it on the table by 5:30. Love the fact that this is one pot and don’t have the cook the pasta separately.
★★★★★
Fabulous!! So glad you loved it, AJ. Aren’t 30-minute meals the best?!
Rachel (Bakerita) has hit it out of the park again. This pasta is AMAZING! I added red pepper flakes too. Super duper fast and easy to make (I love how the pasta is just cooked in the sauce), and the creaminess is unreaaaal! Cashew-based cream sauce is great, but it’s a hassle to take out and wash the blender so it has its time and place. But this pasta is a go-to weeknight pasta that’s unique but quick when you’re in the mood for something that feels like luxurious but is actually light. It’s definitely earned a place in my rotation.
★★★★★
Woohoo!! So glad you’re loving it, Andie. Thanks so much for letting me know what you thought!
Do you bring the broth and milk to a boil, or just keep it on medium, where it was for the shallots? Thanks, looks so yummy!!
Hi Lora, it doesn’t need to be at a full boil when you put the pasta in. It should be at a light simmer for most of the cooking time – enough to cook the pasta and thicken the sauce. I’ll update the recipe to clarify that!
This pasta was just perfect for a night when I wasn’t sure what to cook, was starving, and had only a few fresh things in the fridge. Luckily, most of the ingredients I have on hand all the time! Super lemony, so if you love lemon (like I do), you will be pleased! And what is better than cooking everything in one pot?! So easy and satisfying. I added some roasted broccoli and chickpeas to it to boost the protein a bit and that was a great choice – I bet it would also be good with sauteed kale or spinach. YUM! Thank you, Rachel!
★★★★★
I love the idea of adding some chickpeas to this dish! So glad you loved it, Kendra :) thanks for the feedback!!
This will be on repeat in my house! It so delicious and love that it’s all cooked in one pan. 10/10 can’t wait to make again!
★★★★★
Wooohoo!! So glad you loved it, Kjersti.
This lemon pasta is so incredibly delicious! Cannot even detect the coconut milk. Super creamy and lemony. I added red pepper flakes on top for a little kick. Making it again tonight!
★★★★★
So glad you’re loving it! Red pepper flakes sound like a fabulous addition :D thanks for the feedback, Kimberly!
This was the most delicious and simple meal. I opted to use the brown rice pasta just as was mentioned in the recipe and it was cooked so perfectly by the end. Creamy, light, refreshing and most importantly- so few dishes! I can’t recommend it enough- I only made it a few hours ago tonight and I’ve already sent the recipe to many friends! This is my first non-bake Bakerita recipe and I am so impressed! **also, highly recommend taking the few minutes to make the breadcrumbs for the topping. Well worth it!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for the feedback, Maggie!! I’m so thrilled you’re loving this easy recipe :)
So Delicious! and so Easy! I used edamame spaghetti ( https://explorecuisine.com/product/edamame-spaghetti/ ) to add a big boost of protein. I only had lite coconut milk on hand and the sauce wasn’t as creamier as I had hoped. I ended up adding about TBSP of cornstarch near the end of cooking time and that did the trick. I added chopped spinach and topped it off with a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts. I think I’ll add a few capers next time.
★★★★★
So glad it was a hit, Lisa! Thanks so much for the feedback :) capers and hazelnuts sound like delicious additions!
I knew as soon as I read the recipe that I would love it. I used low fat coconut milk and broth instead of water. Added in some nooch. Super creamy and addictive. Thank you for a great recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Mary! We made it for dinner last night too :)
Just made this for myself for dinner. Used quinoa pasta. Super delish! Thank you.
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Luray! Thanks for the feedback :)
The taste was good! I exchanged the coconut milk for oat milk, but the gluten pasta didn’t absorb as much liquid as it was supposed to so it turned more into pasta soup. Tasted great though! The issue could have been, that I didn’t have a whole box of gluten free pasta, only half a one, that might have made a difference, but we just don’t eat a whole box of pasta in one sitting!
★★★★
Oh yes with less pasta, there would definitely be excess liquid – you’d need to adjust the liquid amount lower to match the amount of pasta. Glad you enjoyed it though!
What would you do about liquid if cooking with fresh pasta?
Hi Paul! I’d probably remove the vegetable broth, cook all of the other sauce ingredients together, and then cook the fresh pasta right in there, adding splashes of veggie broth as needed. Enjoy!