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Home » Pasta Recipes » Meyer Lemon Spaghetti with Thyme

Meyer Lemon Spaghetti with Thyme

Jan 7, 2017 · by Valentina · 32 Comments

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Meyer lemon recipes are always on my mind as the weather cools off. This Meyer Lemon Pasta with Thyme is one of my favorites -- it's light, delicious and perfect as an entrée or a side dish. It's so quick and easy to make a lovely Meyer lemon pasta sauce, you might just make this your go-to-recipe. 

Meyer Lemon-Thyme Spaghetti in a pretty blue-rimmed ceramic plate with lemon wedges and thyme sprigs

It's in the winter that you'll be seeing more and more Meyer lemon recipes being cooked in restaurants, and placed as specials on their menus.

Inspiration

The little Meyer lemon tree that could.

When we moved into our house almost eight years ago we transplanted a little Meyer lemon tree, which had not yet produced any lemons.

small Meyer lemon tree

The next year we got two lemons, and every year since we've gotten about four.
I don't think we did anything differently this year, but our little, sweet tree has at least two dozen lemons hanging from it! It looks so happy!

Yep, I said it. A tree can look happy. 😉 And I'm so happy I can start cooking more Meyer lemon recipes -- right from my own backyard.

Eight years ago, I never would have imagined I'd have enough lemons to flavor a whole meal with. I've been craving a light pasta lately, so I decided to make a Meyer lemon sauce for spaghetti with a touch of aromatic thyme.

Meyer lemon tree in the rain

With just a few ingredients and about twenty minutes, you can make a divine Meyer lemon pasta sauce. It was so perfect for this dish, and would also be super tasty over chicken, fish or mixed into rice.

What's different about Meyer Lemons?

Meyer Lemon Spaghetti with Thyme in a pretty blue-rimmed plate

Meyer lemons are my favorite lemon variety because of their thinner skin, deeper yellow, sometimes orange color, and slightly sweeter flavor.Here's the deal with this spaghetti . . .

Meyer Lemon Spaghetti with Thyme in a pretty blue-rimmed plate

Every single strand is covered with the luscious buttery Meyer lemon pasta sauce. You'll be left wanting more and you might just be caught licking your plate.

Ideas for what to Serve With Meyer Lemon Spaghetti

  • I love this on its own, and it would be fantastic served with chicken and a salad.
  • I recommend Smoky Paprika Lemon-Herb Chicken Under a Brick and Grapefruit-Avocado Salad.
  • The flavors in my Blackberry-Thyme Roasted Chicken would be fantastic along side the spaghetti.

Oh, and you won't want to miss these creative lemon recipes!

Meyer Lemon-Thyme Spaghetti Recipe -- Lovely. There's simply no better way to describe Meyer Lemon-Thyme Spaghetti.

Meyer Lemon-Thyme Spaghetti Recipe

Valentina K. Wein
This pasta dish is light, delicious and perfect as an entrée or a side dish. It's so quick and easy to make a lovely Meyer lemon pasta sauce, you might just make it your go-to-recipe.
5 from 7 votes
Print
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 394 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces dry spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (from about 1 to 2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until it's al dente. (Al dente means "to the tooth." The pasta should be tender, but with a bite to it.)
  • As soon as you put the pasta in the water, add the butter, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and thyme to a large sauce, or sauté pan. Over low-medium heat, let the butter melt. Then mix and let it gently simmer until the pasta is done.
  • Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce.
  • Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

NUTRITION

Calories: 394kcal
Keywords unique pasta recipes, great for a quick dinner
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

Save

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

    January 07, 2017 at 4:53 pm

    Lemon anything is a personal favorite. I would love to dig into that plate of lush spaghetti!
    A fantastic way to begin the New Year.

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 07, 2017 at 6:12 pm

      Thanks, Deb. I dug deep.;-) Happy New Year!

      Reply
  2. Tara | Deliciously Declassified

    January 09, 2017 at 10:38 am

    Yum! This sounds so fresh and delicious! I wish i had a green thumb - I'd love to have a lemon tree in my backyard but I don't think I could make that happen!

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 09, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      My thumb is brown, at best. 😉 You can do it for sure! Thanks for the comment. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Karen @ Seasonal Cravings

    January 09, 2017 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    I'm so jealous that you have a meyer lemon tree. That is so cool. This dish looks super simple and full of flavor. I love the lemon thyme combo and often marinate my chicken in that.

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 09, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      Simple and full of flavor, indeed. And I'm loving your idea of marinating chicken in the "sauce." Brilliant! Thank you.

      Reply
  4. Platter Talk

    January 09, 2017 at 11:24 am

    5 stars
    This sounds especially delicious! Love the zesty addition of the lemon.

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 09, 2017 at 1:41 pm

      Thanks so much! Yes, the zest is lovely!

      Reply
  5. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

    January 09, 2017 at 11:27 am

    As soon as my Meyers ripen, I will make this!

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 09, 2017 at 1:41 pm

      Yay! I've been loving it. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Gin

    January 09, 2017 at 11:30 am

    5 stars
    Your lemons look beautiful! You've convinced me I really need to try Meyer lemons this year. I love their deeper color inside!

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 09, 2017 at 1:42 pm

      Oh you must -- especially if you've never tried them. They're just lovely. And thank you.

      Reply
  7. Ali

    January 09, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    5 stars
    I love Meyer lemons! I really want to try to grow one - I've heard rumors that they can overwinter here in parts of Oregon if they are sufficiently sheltered. This pasta looks lovely - will definitely be making it soon!

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 09, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      Thanks so much, Ali. If I have 2 dozen lemons on my tiny tree, I"m convinced anyone can do it. I bet they'd love the Oregon rain. 🙂

      Reply
  8. David

    January 11, 2017 at 5:37 am

    Yes, please! Actually, Meyer lemon season has passed for us in Tucson, but I just saw some at Trader Joe's so would love to give this a try. What could be better?

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 11, 2017 at 8:32 am

      Thanks, David! Looks like you've had some fantastic traveling lately -- can't wait to see what you're cooking as a result. 🙂

      Reply
      • David

        January 22, 2022 at 9:46 am

        Made this last night and loved it! Beyond love! A new favorite, for sure!(Obviously wasted 5 years by not trying it till last evening!) Thanks so much! XO

        Reply
        • valentina

          January 25, 2022 at 6:08 pm

          David, this makes me SO happy. You totally made my day (again!), and I so appreciate you sharing it on FB, too. So kind of you. 🙂 ~Valentina

          Reply
  9. Peg

    January 22, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    Like David, I just saw some Meyer's at the store and picked them up. I googled recipes for them and this one spoke volumes to me! I will be making it this week! Thanks!!

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 22, 2018 at 8:21 pm

      Thanks so much! So happy your search led you to this spaghetti recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Jan Schleier

    April 02, 2018 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    I Love this recipe! We have been adding cooked shrimp to it in order to add some protein and it is really yummy! When I was out of fresh thyme I used oregano and that tastes great, too. Also great on spaghetti squash!

    Reply
    • valentina

      April 03, 2018 at 2:06 pm

      Thanks so much for sharing this, Jan! You made my day. Shrimp is the perfect protein addition, as it is so delicious with lemon. And the oregano sounds lovely, too. I will have to try it with spaghetti squash. Great idea. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Liv

    December 24, 2019 at 4:24 pm

    Love this recipe! I like to throw in some rosemary with the thyme 🙂 Thanks for sharing this great recipe!

    Reply
    • valentina

      December 25, 2019 at 9:41 pm

      Thank you so much, Liv! How lovely to add rosemary, too. Happy Holidays to you and thanks for cooking my recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  12. Paula

    April 10, 2021 at 5:38 pm

    5 stars
    I added more lemon juice and zest cause we love it! I also picked up some Dungeness crab at my local fish market, and combined some finely chopped mint and parsley to the thyme mix. Delicious!

    Reply
    • valentina

      April 11, 2021 at 4:58 pm

      Hi Paula, thanks so much for writing in. I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe. The addition of the crab and herbs is brilliant. What a perfect protein to go with the lemon flavor. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  13. Chef Mimi

    January 26, 2022 at 4:28 pm

    Wonderful! My friend brought me 4 lemons a couple of weeks ago and I turned one into lemonade, and the other three into a lemon dressing. Such a fabulous lemon flavor! I posted about using a whole lemon to make a dressing years ago, just adding olive oil and salt. I should have remembered that! And if you get any more Meyer lemons, do try the whole lemon dressing. Fabulous pasta.

    Reply
    • valentina

      January 26, 2022 at 5:55 pm

      Thanks so much, Mimi. Ooooh, I'm going now to check out your lemon dressing. Sounds amazing! ~Valentina

      Reply
  14. David Scott Allen

    December 05, 2022 at 10:41 am

    This became such a favorite of ours last year - and, as Meyer lemons are just coming into season here, this is on our menu this week!

    Reply
    • valentina

      December 06, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      Thanks, David! The lemons on my little Meyer lemon tree have just about all gone from green to yellow in the past few weeks. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  15. Kim

    January 23, 2024 at 11:40 am

    5 stars
    I made this for lunch, and it was a big hit! I love how simple yet flavorful it is! I'm currently pregnant, and while I've been experiencing a bit of a change in appetite lately, today's meal was just perfect for me. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      January 23, 2024 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Kim. This makes me so happy! When I was pregnant there were only certain things that were appealing (and appetizing!), so I love that this dish is one for you. Enjoy and thanks for checking out my site and recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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