Name: Lemon Caper Pasta Recipe (with Garlic Butter Sauce)
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 16 Ounces Pasta of Choice (use gluten-free if needed); 3 Tablespoons (Heaping) Vegan Butter (see Note 2); 2-3 Cloves Garlic, Minced; 12 Ounce Jar (340 grams) Quartered Artichoke Hearts (in Brine) (see Note 3); 3 Tablespoons (Heaping) Capers; Zest of 1 Small Lemon (Around 2 Teaspoons Zest), Optional: Fresh lemon zest adds a good boost of flavor!; 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice, To Taste; Fresh cracked sea salt, to taste; 3-4 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley (or herbs of choice), Optional

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Lemon Caper Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce comes together in just 15 minutes and packs a TON of flavor. This weeknight recipe will compete for a slot in your dinner rotation and the salty capers and savory flavor might just put it there!

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Hey Internet, you know us, we LOVE easy meals, especially simple pasta recipes. On a busy weeknight (or anytime we're exhausted), we love coming up with a quick meal. If we can throw together some pasta and make it taste a little (a lot) more interesting than just Pasta with Jarred Sauce, we're going to be a lot happier, though.

Nearly five years ago (wow), we put together a list of Lazy Vegan Meals for When You Just Can't Even and we still eat those recipes regularly! We've even added a few to our Lazy/Busy Meals roster lately, such as our Miso Noodles , Marry Me Butter Beans, Vegan Chicken Alfredo, The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe Ever, Super Easy Tofu Quesadillas, and Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms to name a few.

This new recipe of pasta with capers and lemon happened when we wanted pasta but we wanted something with a different flavor than we'd been having lately (to be honest, we've been making a lot of Vegan Baked Ziti or Vegan Pasta Bake and Vegan Mac and Cheese. So when we had a pasta craving but we wanted something that hit a little different, we started opening up the fridge and pantry and seeing what we had.

In the cupboard we found a jar of capers, a jar of artichoke hearts, and a pound of pasta. In our fridge we found some fresh herbs (we had parsley), some vegan butter (though olive oil will work fine), and a lemon. Light bulb moment!

The briny tang of capers, the fresh lemon, and the herbs (plus some much need garlic) created this incredible pasta dish with the best flavor. This recipe tastes like it's from an Italian restaurant but only takes 15 minutes to make, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.

Your date, your family, your guests (dinner party, anyone?), whoever, will love the lemon caper pasta sauce and will be begging you for the recipe. Serve with a simple side salad or some lightly grilled, roasted, or air fried vegetables for the perfect meal.

Why You'll Love This Pasta with Lemon and Capers

Perfect for Busy Weeknights: The best part of this delicious recipe is that it comes together in just 15 minutes making it the best busy weeknight dinner. While the water boils, throw together a quick green salad or your favorite veggie side dish.
Lots of Flavor: From fresh garlic and herbs to the lemon butter sauce to the zingy capers, you will love this pasta dinner packed with fresh flavors.
Simple Ingredients: You only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy lemon caper pasta recipe.

Ingredients

Pick up the following basic ingredients for this delicious caper lemon pasta recipe the next time you're at your local grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutrition information (to the best of our ability; please consult your physician, registered dietitian, or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs or need to meet certain daily values of any nutrient). we give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

16 Ounces Pasta of Choice: Seriously, use whatever pasta you like! If you like long pasta, try some angel hair pasta. We prefer short pasta that grabs onto the capers so it's easier to eat, such as medium shell pasta or penne rigate. Go ahead and use what you like. Use gluten-free pasta if needed, or try legume pasta for added protein.
3 Tablespoons (Heaping) Vegan Butter: Extra virgin olive oil should work just as well, but we love the flavor of vegan butter in the lemon caper sauce.
2-3 Cloves Garlic, Minced: Some fresh garlic really adds a lot to this recipe.
12 Ounce Jar (340 grams) Quartered Artichoke Hearts (in Brine): We suppose this is an optional ingredient in a Caper Lemon Pasta Recipe, but they're SO good, we urge you not to leave them out. You can use the ones packed in oil if you'd prefer.
3 Tablespoons (Heaping) Capers
Zest of 1 Small Lemon (Around 2 Teaspoons Zest), Optional: Fresh lemon zest adds a good boost of flavor!
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice, To Taste: Add more as needed for a bright lemon flavor. If you don't have fresh lemon juice, the only kind of bottle lemon juice we'll buy is Italian Volcano Lemon Juice, which we buy in a 2-pack from Costco. It's very good and the next best thing to fresh lemons.
Fresh cracked sea salt, to taste
Fresh Herbs, optional: We used 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, but use what you like/have!

Substitutions

Pasta: Use any pasta you'd like. Alternatively, you could swap in a grain such as rice or quinoa.
Vegan Butter: A splash of olive oil will also work. Alternatively, try some plant based heavy cream for a creamy sauce.
Artichoke Hearts: Leave these out if you wish or swap for baby spinach (or do both!). Sun dried tomatoes are also a nice option.
Fresh Garlic: We wouldn't recommend garlic powder over fresh garlic but if you prefer it, go ahead. Use about ½ to ¾ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon garlic powder = one glove fresh garlic).
Capers: You could swap in sliced olives of choice, such as Castelvetrano olives.
Fresh Herbs: Scallions, red pepper flakes, or vegan parmesan cheese are all nice swaps for fresh herbs. Or do both! Black pepper is also a nice touch.

Pairings

Crispy Tofu
Vegan Garlic Bread
Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts
Sautéed Cabbage (coming soon!)
Creamy Vegan Avocado Salad
Vegan Cordon Bleu
Roasted Asparagus or Air Fryer Asparagus
Vegan Italian Salad
Tofu Steak
Vegan Focaccia
Vegan Salmon
Roasted Broccoli or other veggie of choice

How to Make Lemon Caper Pasta

Cook Pasta: Cook your pasta in a large pot of water according to package directions, until al dente or just past. While the pasta water boils, you can prep the other ingredients. If you like to salt your pasta water, go ahead, but keep in mind you may then need less salt in the final part of the recipe since the salted water will flavor the pasta.
Save Pasta Water: This is not a required step because we often don't need this water, but if you want your pasta to be on the saucy side, you can reserve about a ½ cup or so of the starchy pasta water (carefully dunk a glass measuring cup into the water once the pasta has cooked in it for a bit and set it aside (or position a measuring cup below the strainer in the sink).
Drain Cooked Pasta: Drain the water out of the pasta and quickly return the hot pan to the stove over medium heat.
Cook the Garlic: Melt the vegan butter and add the minced garlic. Stir frequently and cook for about 30 seconds. The garlic will start to turn lightly golden brown and become very fragrant. Reduce the burner to medium-low heat.
Add Other Elements: Add the artichoke hearts (if using), lemon zest, and capers. Give it a good stir and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the lemon juice and salt, then add back the cooked pasta. Stir well. Taste and adjust as needed, adding an extra tablespoon butter, extra salt or lemon as needed.
Serve: Serve your pasta with lemon and capers immediately and garnish with chopped parsley or other herbs, chilli flakes, or whatever else you like. Enjoy!

More Quick Vegan Pasta Recipes

And if you like Italian cooking, check out our Vegan Italian Recipes!