Creamy Lemon Gruyere Pasta

This creamy lemon Gruyere pasta is so full of flavour that you'll find yourself craving it time and again. It's also extremely easy to make, so you can have a restaurant-quality meal on your table in 20 minutes.

If you're like me and you live for creamy pasta dishes, you're bound to fall in love with this lemon Gruyere pasta. Or perhaps you're looking for recipes with Gruyere cheese and want something easy, delicious, and that really makes the Swiss cheese shine. Regardless of the reason you've landed here, you're in for a real treat!

I love cheese in all its glorious forms, but there's something about Gruyere cheese that makes it impossible to resist. Gruyere is a full-bodied, nuanced cheese that originates from the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.

It's a cheese with a rich complexion of flavours that makes it very difficult to substitute. Comte and Emmentaler come close, but Gruyère truly works best in this recipe, as the aroma pairs beautifully with lemon.

What do you need to make the creamiest lemon Gruyere pasta??

The best thing about this Gruyere pasta with lemon is that you only need a handful of ingredients to make it. It's an incredibly simple recipe that has no business being that delicious.

Here's what you need to make creamy Gruyere pasta:

Gruyere cheese — You'll obviously need a chunk of Gruyere cheese to make the sauce. I found that 125 grams is the best quantity for a rich, velvety, super cheesy sauce that serves two. You'll have to grate your Gruyere for this recipe — if you have a food processor, it only takes a couple of seconds. You can eat the rind of the cheese, but I prefer not to grate it for this recipe.

Lemon — as this is a lemon and Gruyere pasta, you'll need lots of lemon zest and juice. Use a quality, organic lemon of possible to get the best flavour. I use the zest and juice of a large lemon. It may sound like a lot, but trust me, it's just the right quantity.

Garlic — I use 4 medium garlic cloves, and I find the flavour just right. Feel free to use less if you're not a garlic fan.

Flour — plain flour is best here. You only need two tablespoons to obtain just the right consistency for the sauce.

Baby spinach — this is optional, but highly recommended because it gives some colour and texture to the pasta, not to mention a handful of greens never hurt anyone.

Pasta — literally any kind of pasta works for this Gruyere pasta sauce. I used Gemelli, but long pasta is also great.

How do you make it?

You can easily make the sauce in the time it takes the pasta to boil.

The main thing to consider with this Gruyere pasta sauce is that you need to be careful not to have any lumps in it.

This can happen at two different points in the process — when you add the flour/stock combo or when, you stir in the cheese.

To avoid lumps, you need to add the stock gradually and stir or whisk continuously. When it's time to add the cheese, make sure you do it in two batches to prevent it from clumping together.

And here's how to make it:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil, then add the butter and allow it to melt. When the butter is foaming, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds on medium heat until fragrant.

Next, add the lemon zest and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring often. Pour the lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring, until half evaporated.

Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir continuously (or use a whisk) until you obtain a thick paste.

Start adding the stock. Do it gradually, stirring or whisking continuously until you have a thick sauce. Add the spinach and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Add half of the cheese and stir to combine. When the cheese has melted, add the rest and stir to combine. Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it well to combine. Stir in the parsley, season to taste and serve immediately, with some extra lemon zest on top if you like.

Recipe tips and tricks for the best Gruyère pasta

• The sauce should be perfect for 250 g dry pasta. However, if you feel like it's too thick, you can add a dash of pasta water.
• To add a bit of texture to this Gruyere and lemon pasta, you can sprinkle some toasted pine nuts before serving. Alternatively, toast some Panko breadcrumbs in a bit of butter with a bit of garlic powder and sprinkle it over the pasta.
• This Gruyere pasta is best served immediately, and it just won't be the same reheated.

If you liked this creamy lemon Gruyere pasta, check out some of my other vegetarian creamy pasta recipes:

Halloumi Stroganoff

Radiatori Pasta with Cannellini Beans and Tomatoes

Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta

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