Creamy Lemon Caper Pasta

This creamy lemon caper pasta gets its silky sauce from Greek yogurt and skim milk, no heavy cream. Bright lemon, briny capers, and Parmesan come together in one pan in 15 minutes while the pasta cooks. My go-to weeknight dinner.

5 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Serving servings

Ingredients

10 oz pasta, spaghetti or angel hair
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoon arrowroot powder, tapioca starch or cornstarch
1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup milk, skim or 2%
½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 0% or 2%
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 - 3 tablespoon capers, liquid drained
⅓ to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Whisk the slurry: In a bowl or glass, whisk the arrowroot powder into the cold broth until smooth. Set aside. Zest the lemon and set aside.
Cook the garlic. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don't let it brown.
Thicken the sauce. Add the arrowroot broth mixture and the milk. Whisk continuously so there are no lumps. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer 2 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, whisking every 20 seconds.
Add the yogurt and lemon: Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the Greek yogurt, parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taking the pan off the burner is what keeps the sauce from splitting.
Stir in the capers: Once the sauce is fully combined and smooth, gently stir in the capers.
Toss and serve: Add the cooked pasta and toss with tongs until every strand is coated. Top with fresh parsley, extra capers, or parmesan if you like.

Notes

Take the pan off the heat before the yogurt goes in. This is the step that determines whether the sauce stays smooth. The residual heat is all you need.

Add more zest, not more juice. If you want it brighter, reach for the zest. More acid makes the sauce more likely to split.

Rinse the capers. It knocks back the brine so you control the salt. Salt-cured capers need a 15-minute cold-water soak first.

Storing: Keeps in the fridge two to three days. Reheat over medium-low with a splash of water or broth. Don't freeze it, yogurt sauces break on thawing.

Nutrition

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Italian

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