This creamy garlic lemon pasta is a simple yet flavour-packed dish made with sweet roasted garlic, fresh lemon and parmesan. Roasting the garlic transforms it into a soft, caramelised paste that melts into the cream, creating a silky, luscious sauce with just the right balance of richness and brightness. It’s an easy pasta to bring together and works beautifully with any shape, making it perfect for a quick but impressive meal.

Hi! This creamy pasta sauce pretty much contains all my favourite flavours in one place. Roasted garlic is folded into foamy butter with lots of black pepper, fresh lemon and lemon zest, then finished with cream and parmesan for a silky, luscious sauce.
I’ve used homemade orecchiette here, but it works beautifully with absolutely any pasta shape.
If roasting the garlic feels like a step too far, you can absolutely take a shortcut. My creamy lemon pasta uses minced garlic instead and comes together much faster, or you could try a simple white sauce pasta for an even more classic creamy option.
Main Ingredients
Roast garlic - There are instructions below for roasting the garlic bulbs, it’s so easy! It transforms into a soft, sweet paste that melts into the sauce. You could also use confit garlic if you have some on hand, it will give a similar mellow, caramelized flavor.
Cream - I use heavy cream for the best flavor and stability. It creates a rich sauce but is balanced out with pasta water and lemon so it doesn’t feel too heavy.
Lemon - I use both the juice and zest. It cuts through the richness and brings a really fresh balance to the sauce. If you are worried about curdling then add it right at the end with the pasta.
Parmesan Cheese - Finely grate it with a microplane (or the star side of a box grater) so it melts smoothly into the sauce. Freshly grated is best here, pre-grated versions often contain additives that stop it melting properly.
How to make creamy garlic lemon pasta
The full ingredient list, method, and video tutorial are in the recipe card below.
Roasting the garlic

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (390F). Slice the top off the garlic bulb, just enough to expose the cloves, then drizzle with olive oil.

2. Wrap in aluminum foil and roast on a tray for 40–50 minutes.

3. The cloves should be soft, golden, and lightly caramelized.

4. Once cooked, let it cool enough to handle, then squeeze out the soft garlic cloves.
Making the sauce
1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until just starting to brown. Add the black pepper.
2. Add the roasted garlic.
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3. Mash the garlic into the butter as best you can, I like to use a flat whisk.
4. Add the cream and mix well so the garlic is fully incorporated. It might look a little split at first but it will come together.
5. Add the lemon juice and zest, mixing quickly. Add the parmesan in a couple of additions, letting it melt between each one. Keep the heat low, at a very gentle simmer.
6. Add the cooked pasta straight in, toss, and let it gently bubble for a minute. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Season to taste.
Expert tips
- Brown the butter slightly - Let the butter gently brown before adding anything else. It creates a deeper flavor base, just don’t let it burn.
- Use fresh lemon - Fresh juice and zest make all the difference here. Bottled lemon juice won’t give the same brightness.
- Roasting the garlic - Roast until the cloves are soft, golden, and just starting to caramelize. Check after 40 minutes and every 5-10 minutes after if needed. Let cool before squeezing out.
- Undercook dried pasta - If using dried pasta, cook it a minute under al dente so it can finish cooking in the sauce. Check out my guide to cooking perfect pasta for more tips.
- Grate the parmesan finely - Use a microplane (or the star side of a box grater) so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
Common questions
Roasting the garlic is what gives this sauce its sweet, delicious flavor, so I highly recommend it. If you’re short on time, you can use 3-4 cloves of finely minced garlic instead, but the flavor will be sharper and less rich.
I always prefer a heavy cream as it is the most stable for cooking. It's easily adjustable with pasta water if you need to thin it down.
This sauce works with any shape, dried or fresh. Short shapes like orecchiette or shells are great for catching the sauce, but long pasta like fettuccine or spaghetti works just as well.
This pasta is definitely best eaten fresh, as creamy sauces can thicken and lose their texture over time. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave with a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce.
Some other pasta recipes to try
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I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe

Creamy Garlic Lemon Pasta (with Roasted Garlic)
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Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
- 2 whole heads garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 30 grams butter cubed
- ½ teaspoons pepper
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 - 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of a lemon
- 50 grams parmesan finely grated with a microplane or equivalent
- Red pepper flakes to serve (optional)
Instructions
For the garlic
- Preheat your oven to 200 c (400 f)
- Prepare your garlic bulbs. Take off the outer papery layers and cut the top off horizontally. You want to cut off just enough that you expose the tops of the cloves.
- Drizzle the top with olive oil then wrap up each one individually in foil and roast in the oven for about 45 mins or until the cloves are soft and starting to caramelize.
- When roasted to your liking let them cool and then squeeze all the garlic out. I like to use the back of a spoon on a chopping board to turn it into a smooth paste.
For the sauce
- Cook your pasta in a pot of well salted boiling water, reserving a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Let it foam up slightly then add the pepper and stir.
- Add the garlic paste and whisk (you don't need to add all of it, I love garlic so add it to taste!)
- Add the cream and whisk, lowering the heat so it stays at only a very gentle simmer.
- Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk again.
- Add the parmesan in a few additions, whisking and letting it melt between each one.
- Let it gently simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce with ¼ cup of pasta water and let it bubble for a minute so the sauce clings to the pasta. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen.
- My biggest tip is that you want it on the saucier side so add more pasta water if you need it to loosen. Pasta soaks up sauce quickly so by making it super saucy in the pan then by the time you serve it into bowls it will be perfect!
- I like to top the pasta with extra lemon zest and some red pepper flakes.
Video
Notes
Hi, I'm Emilie
I've spent years testing pasta doughs, sauces, and weeknight favorites so you don't have to. Everything on The Burnt Butter Table is designed to be simple, comforting, and unbelievably delicious.
Laila says
Loved this garlicky sauce, thanks for sharing! My sauce did split though as soon as I added the lemon juice. Is there any tip for preventing this please?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Laila, so sorry that happened! Were you using heavy cream? It needs to be a full fat cream and also to have the heat really low. A great way to add the lemon juice is to add it right at the end once the pasta is already in, hope that helps!
Lori Michrina says
This was SO good! I used garlic freshly pulled from the ground of my friend’s garden, and WOW! I added some prosciutto and peas for some color. I’m definitely adding this recipe into my list of ones to consider for dinner parties!
Emilie Pullar says
Oh amazing Lori! Freshly grown garlic is sooooo amazing. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
claire says
Hi! How would you suggest prepping this ahead of time, or is that not recommended?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Claire! Honestly creamy sauces aren't really great ahead of time as they can seperate. You can pre roast the garlic though which will cut down time. Apart from that it's an extremely quick sauce to make fresh. Sorry not much help haha 🙂
Siena says
I don't see a way to edit my original comment to add a rating so I'm gonna comment again, because this was SO GOOD, it deserves every 5-star rating.
I was making it to feed 6 and ended up quadrupling the recipe since 3 of the guys coming over are big guys with big appetites. Except for the portion I set aside for our friend that wasn't able to make it, the entire thing was devoured. If you see my original comment I ended up making it with real half-and-half rather than a dairy-free option, so I haven't tried that yet. But what I did do to make it more substantial, since I know my husband and his friends like meat, was I added italian sausage (since I was doing the recipe x4 I added 2 16oz packs, 1 hot and 1 sweet). I cracked the pepper over it and browned that in the butter, though I only added like a third of the butter the recipe calls for to take into account the fat from the sausage, before adding the garlic. Then because I'm try to get my husband to eat more veggies I wilted a 10oz bag of spinach in the sauce as it simmered/thickened. It got rave reviews, one of the guys asked for the recipe, and my husband wants me to make it again already. If I could rate it more than 5 stars I would!
Siena says
Have you ever tried this, or similar pasta sauces, with non-dairy cream? My husband is lactose intolerant, I usually have decent luck with Silk's non-dairy half-and-half for replacing cream in recipes, I can't recall if I've ever tried it in a pasta sauce though. I usually go tomato based sauce precisely because of this, but this recipe sounds too delicious not to try! I'm actually planning on making this for some friends coming over so I'm worried about potentially gambling on the non-dairy creamer when I'm making dinner for 6. (I'm gonna triple the recipe since at least 2 are known big eaters, I'm gonna be roasting a lot of garlic lol) My husband is a dairy fiend anyway so if you don't think it'll work, worst case scenario I'll load him up on lactase, use real cream, and he'll be be in heaven for a few hours until his body turns on him and he starts to regret it lol
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Siena! My sister uses the Silk dairy free whipping cream in her pasta sauces and has success with it. I have never tried it though sorry! I think it could be slightly risky for 6 if you haven't tried it before but I'm sure it would work, you can always thin the sauce down with pasta water if you need.
Siena says
I thought about it more after commenting and I think I agree that it'd be risky to try for the first time for when those friends come over, but if I try it later with a smaller batch I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks so much for your response!
Laura says
Had friends over to make handmade orechiette and this sauce was *perfect* - so easy and everyone loved it. Will definitely be part of our dinner rotation!
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you enjoyed it Laura!! 🙂
Stevie says
Delicious, the lemon make it!
Dena says
This has become a staple in our house!!! Can’t get enough of this pasta
Emilie Pullar says
That makes me so happy Dena, thank you!
Mike says
This made a great sauce. I had to improvise on some ingredients, and cut the recipe in half for just my wife and I.
I roasted 4 large cloves, instead of two heads, and used half and half in place of the cream. It still turned out good. We will be making this again.
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much for making it Mike! 🙂
Cyndi says
Can I add some white wine to this?
Emilie Pullar says
Definitely! It's already got a good hit of acidity from the lemon so see how it goes? I would add 1/2 cup white wine before adding the cream, letting it reduce down for a few mins 🙂