This Lemon Caper Pasta recipe tastes like you stepped into your favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant. It's bright, fresh and tangy and ready in about 20 minutes, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
Pasta gets a lot of play in our household (as it does in many American homes!) and I love to throw together fast and simple flavorful pasta dishes like this lemon caper pasta. This recipe tastes perfect on its own, but you can easily add sauteed shrimp, seared chicken or even baby spinach or kale to make this a true one-skillet dinner.
I make pasta multiple times a week, from our spicy Spaghetti Arrabiata to our veggie packed Creamy Spinach Pasta. When colder months hit, I like a good baked pasta casserole like this Rigatoni al Forno recipe! But this quick and easy lemony pasta is so delicious it's the ideal meal when I'm out of ideas and want comfort food in a hurry.
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Ingredients that Matter
Lemon caper pasta features a handful of simple ingredients. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Lemon. A fresh lemon, juice and zest, goes into the sauce for this recipe. Since we're using the zest, I suggest buying organic (if you can) and be sure to give it a good rinse before using.
- Capers. These little buds from the caper shrub are packed in a brine, providing the pasta with a classic, pungent Mediterranean flavor. Give them a rinse before using to wash some of the brine away.
- Pasta. Use your noodle of choice, but I suggest spaghetti, angel hair pasta or linguini. These types of pasta are perfect for holding on to thinner, starchier sauces like this garlicky lemon caper sauce.
- Olive Oil. Use regular olive oil or extra-virgin. We use a fair amount as the oil is actually part of the sauce, not just for cooking the aromatics.
- Garlic. A few cloves of garlic are thinly sliced then fried in the oil until just starting to turn golden brown, providing for a toasty, garlicky flavor.
- Crushed Red Pepper (optional). I like to add a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to provide a bit of heat. You can leave it out if you'd like.
- Anchovies (optional). Like the crushed red pepper, anchovies are optional but I strongly recommend using them! The sauce will not taste fishy, instead the anchovies provide a lovely umami flavor.
- White Wine. A splash of dry white wine adds lots of flavor.  A splash of dry white wine adds lots of flavor. Pick any dry wine you like to drink, like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, then serve the pasta with the same white wine.
- Parmesan. The dish is finished with some fresh grated parmesan cheese. The cheese helps round out the bright flavors of the lemon and capers.
- Parsley. Sure, fresh parsley is added for presentation, but it also imparts a gentle herbaceous flavor that is noticeable when the herb is absent.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make the perfect lemon caper pasta
This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes (even faster if you can bring a pot of water to a boil quickly). Here is how I like to make this pasta sauce:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions (be sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking water before draining). Add oil, garlic and anchovies to a large skillet and bring mixture to a gentle sauté over medium heat. There is no need to crank the heat; you want the flavor from the garlic and anchovies to permeate the oil as they cook.
Add a big pinch of red pepper flakes along with the drained and dried capers. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice and dry white wine.
Add the drained pasta along with parsley to the sauce and toss well. Continue to toss while adding a bit of the reserved pasta water (enough to make it saucy but not soupy, about ¼-1/2 cup of the cooking liquid). Adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Hint: It's a good idea to have extra reserved pasta cooking liquid, especially if the pasta will sit a while before serving. Be sure to thin out the pasta and sauce a bit before serving to ensure the dish is lusciously saucy. The pasta cooking liquid has a lot of starch, which helps to create a velvety sauce.
Substitutions
This recipe is fairly easy to adjust based on your dietary restrictions or needs. Here is some advice on how to tweak the recipe:
- Gluten-Free - Use a gluten-free pasta instead of a wheat pasta to make this recipe gluten-free. I've been experimenting with going gluten-free recently and have enjoyed the Ancient Harvest Organic Gluten-Free Corn and Quinoa Supergrain Pasta.
- Dairy-Free - Keep out the parmesan cheese to keep this recipe dairy-free.
- Vegan - You'll have to leave out the parmesan and anchovies to keep this recipe vegan.
- Pasta Varieties - Turn this bright Mediterranean pasta into lemon caper linguine by simply swapping in linguine. Note that you'll have to adjust how much reserved pasta cooking water you add to the sauce based on the size of the noodles (more for thicker pasta, less for thinner noodles like angle hair pasta).
Variations
A few additions can make this recipe a complete meal, with protein and veg. Here are my suggestions:
- Chicken - Try searing off chicken tenders or thinly sliced chicken breasts, thinly slicing and adding to the pasta dish.
- Shrimp - Pan-seared shrimp are a delicious addition to this pasta! You can even serve this lemon caper pasta with our Perfect Seared Shrimp with Garlic and Herbs (this recipe gets into some interesting tips on searing shrimp just right).
- Scallops - Similarly to the shrimp, try adding pan-seared shrimp to this recipe.
- Veggies - There are plenty of vegetables that would taste great with this recipe, including sauteed baby spinach or kale, asparagus, peas or even steamed broccoli.
Equipment
A good quality skillet, like this All-Clad D3 3-Ply Stainless Large Skillet works wonders in the kitchen. And be sure to use a solid pot, like this All-Clad (8 quart) Multicooker, complete with insert steamer and strainer!
And be sure to use a microplane grater, like this Microplane Classic Zester.
Storage
Leftovers will hold in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It's best to heat up leftovers in a microwave or a skillet with a bit of water. For best results, this dish is best enjoyed soon after cooking.
FAQ
No, capers are a brined product and can be enjoyed right from the jar. It's best to drain and rinse some of the brine before consuming.
Use a narrow grater, like a microplane zester, to remove the zest from a lemon. Try to avoid any of the bitter white pith.
More Pasta Recipes
Looking for other pasta recipes? Try these:
Sides
Looking for some sides to serve with this pasta dish? Try these:
Print
Recipe
Lemon Caper Pasta
- Total Time: 20 min.
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
This Lemon Caper Pasta recipe tastes like you stepped into your favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant. It's bright, fresh and tangy and the perfect answer to a busy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. spaghetti
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil (or extra-virgin olive oil)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 anchovies (optional)
- 3 Tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
- zest and juice from 1 lemon, divided
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- table salt and black pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
- freshly grater parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid before draining. Set aside.
- Place oil, garlic and anchovies in a large skillet and heat over medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is starting to turn golden brown and the anchovies have broken down. Add capers and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and stir to combine. Add white wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
- Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to combine. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid and stir frequently until the pasta is saucy, about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Remove from heat and stir in some of the lemon zest and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and parmesan.
Notes
- You can leave out the anchovies and crushed red pepper, if you desire.
- Try adding seared chicken tenders or thinly sliced chicken breast.
- Serve with seared scallops or sauteed baby spinach or kale, steamed broccoli or sauteed asparagus.
- Try this pasta with our Perfect Seared Shrimp with Garlic and Herbs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 15 min.
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Sautee
- Cuisine: American/Italian
Linda says
Hello, I haven't made this yet, but it looks great. Can you use whole wheat spaghetti? I am surprised that not many recipes I encounter on the internet do use it. Also, if I use the anchovies do they flavor the whole spaghetti? And do the capers come out hard for eating? Thank you!
Adam Dolge says
Hi Linda! Yes, absolutely use whole wheat spaghetti for this recipe! I use a lot of the "bronze cut" whole wheat spaghetti and it's terrific in a lemon caper sauce. The anchovies will definitely flavor the entire sauce/spaghetti. You can always use less, like 1-2, if you don't want anchovy flavor. The capers should not get hard if cooked briefly. I hope it turns out great! Adam
Christin Switzer says
Lemon Caper Pasta is one of those simple dishes that somehow feels like a restaurant treat at home — bright, zesty, and full of flavor without taking over your evening, which is perfect for busy weeknights when you still want something satisfying; I usually pair it with a cozy movie night, because good food and a good film just hit differently after a long day.