Giada De Laurentiis's 4-Ingredient Dinner Is My New Go-To

It's so good, my son asked for seconds.

A split image of Giada De Laurentiis and a plate of lemon spaghetti representing her recipe

Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Kat Lieu

My son, Philip (I call him Phil), just started middle school and he returns home by 3 p.m. every day very hungry. Pasta, or really any dish with noodles, always hits the spot for him. So I’ve been on the hunt for quick and easy recipes. With pasta dishes costing over $20 a plate at restaurants these days, it makes sense to build a repertoire of homemade meals and skip takeout. 

One day, I landed on Giada De Laurentiis's quick and easy lemon spaghetti recipe. Luckily, I had all the ingredients to make it: pasta, olive oil, lemons, and Parmigiano Reggiano. The only cooking required is boiling the pasta, and the sauce just comes together in one bowl.

I set the water to boil the pasta at 2:30 p.m., and even before Phil’s school bus arrived, dinner was ready.

A bowl of lemon spaghetti garnished with herbs with sliced lemons on the side

Simply Recipes / Kat Lieu

How I Made Giada De Laurentiis's Lemon Spaghetti

Giada calls for spaghetti, but I don’t think she’ll mind that I used fettuccine, which was the only box of pasta left in my pantry.

While the pasta cooked in salted water, I whipped up the lemon sauce. Into a large serving bowl, I added 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, the zest and juice (about 1/2 cup) of two lemons, 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Then, I gave it a good mix.

Lemon sauce mixture in a glass bowl with lemons and pasta box visible

Simply Recipes / Kat Lieu

Once the pasta was ready, I scooped it directly from the pot into the lemon sauce. You want a little bit of the pasta water (about one cup) to help create a creamy sauce. Then I just mixed everything together.

At first, you might think there’s too much liquid in the sauce, but watch as the pasta absorbs the liquid and the sauce thickens. The pasta water is super starchy and will act like a binder.

I love how this easy pasta only takes 30 minutes to make. Phil asked for a second plate, and we still had enough to serve four people. My Cantonese mother ate the pasta with chopsticks and loved how light it is. My husband, who loves boxed mac and cheese, enjoyed the cheesiness of this pasta.

This is definitely a dish I’ll keep in my repertoire, and if you know me, you know I’ll keep changing it up, depending on my mood and what’s in my pantry.

A bowl of lemon spaghetti garnished with herbs

Simply Recipes / Kat Lieu

My Tips for Making Giada's Lemon Spaghetti

This pasta sparkled as is, but if you have fresh basil, you can add about a 1/3 cup of it, chopped, as Giada does. I didn’t have any in the refrigerator, and the ones in my garden had wilted from the summer sun (I know, herbs should be grown indoors!), so I used chopped cilantro. Herbs aren't a must—you can keep this a four-ingredient dish if you don't count the oil, salt, and pepper.

I’ve made this dish a few times now with variations. My growing boy needs protein, so I sometimes add crisped pancetta. However, I find that seafood goes well with the lemon, so I tried smoked salmon and later flaked cooked salmon. Canned tuna or a tin of smoked oysters would taste divine.

A plate of lemon spaghetti garnished with herbs placed next to a glass bowl of the same dish

Simply Recipes / Kat Lieu

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