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This easy lemon caper pasta recipe uses just a handful of ingredients and takes about 20 minutes, yet tastes fresh and flavorful. It’s a lovely simple meal by itself, or an elegant side dish to chicken, fish, or shrimp.
There is and always will be a place in my heart for simple pasta recipes. This one delivers super light yet enticing flavor. If you love lemon, light sauces, and the briny tang of capers, this is the 20-minute dish for you!
When you need a super simple bowl of happiness, make this pasta and call it a day, but I love it best as a side dish to my Italian dressing chicken or lemon herb salmon. It truly just hits the spot!
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Caper Pasta
- Fresh, real food that can be on the table in 20 minutes flat
- Short shopping list—just a handful of ingredients that still impart terrific flavor
- Flexible flavor—love briny capers? Pile more on your helping. Suspicious kids? They’ll love the pasta with light lemon butter sauce, no capers needed.
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient Spotlight: Capers
Jarred capers are the green, un-ripened flower buds of a prickly bush called capparis spinosa, which grows wild across the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. The buds are picked, dried, then either cured in salt or pickled in brine. This process gives capers their signature briny, tangy, savory flavor, with a bit of a floral note.
When cooking with jarred capers, strain off the brine, but there is no need to rinse. You can rinse jarred capers if you prefer to lessen the pickled, salty effect, but this is just a flavor preference.
How To Make Lemon Caper Pasta
Step One: Cook pasta in well-salted, rapidly boiling water. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta water just prior to draining; this will be incorporated into the sauce.
Step Two: As the water bubbles, grab a pan to start the lemon caper sauce. Melt butter, sauté garlic, then swirl in the white wine or broth. Let this mixture reduce very briefly, then add another pat of butter, lemon zest and juice, plus the capers and a splash of the pasta water.
Step Three: Finish by tossing in the cooked pasta. Give everything a good stir and let it sit for a moment to let the pasta soak up a bit of sauce. It should cling lightly to the pasta, not pool around it. Add a little more pasta water if you like.
Step Four: Garnish and serve! Lemon wedges and parsley make it all look fresh and bright.
Variations & Add-Ons
- Add Parmesan cheese on individual servings for a light yet creamy touch
- Sprinkle on red pepper flakes for gentle heat
- Top with the same garlicky breadcrumbs found over my popular spaghetti with mushrooms and oregano for more texture and crunch
- Mix in a handful of Kalamata or green olives, cherry tomatoes, or additional herbs for more color
Serving Suggestions
Extra busy weeknight, or just need a bowl of comfort? Serve this with a light Italian or arugula salad and garlic knots or breadsticks and call it good.
Of course you can also serve up lemon caper pasta as a delicious side to your favorite light protein. The Mediterranean vibe of lemon and capers pairs extremely well with Greek chicken, sheet pan Greek tilapia, or this oven-baked shrimp and zucchini we love.
More Ultra-Fast Pasta Recipes
Lemon Caper Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, any kind
- 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, or low-sodium vegetable broth
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 Tablespoons capers
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 1-2 teaspoons dried
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water, salt generously, and cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. When the pasta is tender, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the water; drain the rest and set pasta aside.8 ounces pasta
- While the pasta cooks, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then add garlic. Cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.2 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 3-4 cloves garlic
- Add white wine or broth and simmer for 1-2 minutes, just until slightly reduced.1/4 cup dry white wine
- Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter plus all of the lemon zest, juice from half of the lemon (about 1 – 1.5 Tablespoons), capers, and a big splash of the reserved pasta water. Simmer this together for about 1 minute, then add the drained pasta and toss well. Add more pasta water if desired to make it a little "saucier."zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1-2 Tablespoons capers
- Sample and season with more lemon and salt and pepper to taste—you may not need much or any, because capers themselves are very salty.kosher salt and black pepper
- Sprinkle with parsley just prior to serving. Enjoy!1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- Capers: You can rinse the capers if desired, especially if you’re trying to minimize the salt factor, but it’s not necessary.
- Variations: Try adding a little Parmesan, red pepper, extra herbs, etc.
- Storage: Leftovers keep at least 3-4 days. Store in your favorite airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave or over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Add a splash of broth or water to help loosen the sauce and minimize sticking. An extra squeeze of lemon juice can freshen up reheated portions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on February 15, 2023 and has been updated with new photos and less extraneous text. The recipe is the same.
This was so lemony & good! I will def make it again!!
Made this sauce with a lemon ricotta ravioli and it was delicious.
This was refreshingly light, yet full of flavor and satisfying! This is a keeper
I made this last night and the acid was too high for my family. To combo added approx 3/4 cup chicken broth and a couple tablespoons of flour to thicken. I also added in some sautéed yellow squash to bulk it out. It was really good.
It’s been a little while since I made this but it was absolutely delicious even with dried parsley (my grocery store didn’t have the fresh) highly recommend this one if you like a nice bright pasta.
Wow! This pasta look so delicious, and the instructions are easy to follow.
So glad you like it!
This Lemon Caper Pasta looks delicious, thanks for the recipe, it doesn’t look complicated to make.
Super easy and fast recipe which is great for a quick after work meal! I added chicken sausage and more capers because I love them. Came out very tasty and honestly I had no lemons but I did have True Lemon packets and I used those so imagine how it tastes with real lemons! Thank you!