This Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprout Pasta is quick to make in under 30 minutes. Made with shredded Brussels sprouts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated parmesan cheese. Simple, flavorful, and fast…the perfect easy, healthy dinner.

This Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Pasta on a serving platter with two forks.

When I want something cozy, easy, and fast for dinner on a busy weeknight, an easy vegetarian pasta recipe is my go-to.

And this Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Pasta has become the perfect quick dinner. Our family loves it and I love that it gets the veggies in! Super simple to make with just 9 ingredients, but full of flavor thanks to sautéed shallots, lemon juice + zest, and Parmesan cheese. You can shred the Brussels sprouts for this recipe yourself or buy the pre-shredded version at the store to make this vegetarian dinner even easier to make. Once prep is done, this veggie pasta dish is ready in about 20 minutes (depending on what kind of pasta you use)! Vegetarian and easily gluten free, this recipe makes about 4 servings. Bump up the protein in this Brussels sprouts recipe by tossing in your favorite protein.

This dish is best enjoyed right after it’s made. However, you can cook the Brussels sprouts part of the dish a day ahead and reheat it in a pan before cooking and adding the pasta.

Ingredients for lemon Brussels sprout pasta on a table before prepping.
Ingredients: minced garlic, chopped shallots, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, fresh Brussels sprouts, spaghetti, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Tips

  • Use fresh Brussels sprouts. I love a good recipe that utilizes frozen veggies, but I do not think frozen Brussels would work well in this dish. Brussels are often frozen whole and are quite soft once defrosted and do not sauté well, in my experience.
  • Make this Brussels sprouts pasta recipe fresh. Meal prep is great, but not all recipes work as a make ahead option. I find this recipe is best enjoyed right after it’s made.
  • If you REALLY want to make it ahead. You can do a little prep ahead so you can streamline dinner a bit more. Simply cook the Brussels sprouts part of the dish up to a day ahead and reheat it in a pan while you cook the pasta. Once pasta is done cooking, add it to the reheated Brussels sprouts.
Uncooked spaghetti in a pot with water
Boil a large pot of salt water.

Spaghetti cooking in a pot of water. A hand is scooping out a cup of pasta water with a measuring cup.
Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Suggested Adaptations

  • Want to make this dairy-free? You can leave out the parmesan from this Brussels sprouts pasta. Just make sure to taste and add more salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.
  • Up the more flavor. Top the final dish with some toasted chopped walnuts or almonds. You could also make some garlic breadcrumbs and sprinkle those on top for some extra flavor and texture.
  • Use any pasta you like for this recipe –whole wheat, gluten free, or bean-based pastas will work well.
  • If you don’t need this pasta to be vegetarian, chicken or pork Italian sausage would be a great addition. You could also add some cooked chicken or shrimp.
Sliced Brussels sprouts and shallots in a cast iron skillet with oil.
Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and the shallot/onion with oil.
Cooked Brussels and shallots in a cast iron
Cook until the vegetables start to brown around the edges.
Cooked Brussels sprouts and shallots in a cast iron skillet with lemon zest, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
Add the salt, pepper, garlic, lemon zest.
Cooked lemon Brussels sprouts in a skillet with a hand pouring lemon juice over the mixture.
Stir in the lemon juice and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water.

Other veggie-loaded pasta recipes

Did you try this veggie-loaded pasta recipe and now you’re hungry for more? 

Sign up so that my newsletter is delivered straight to your inbox. And be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all kinds of veggie-loaded living ideas!

A hand pouring olive oil over a skillet with cooked Brussels sprouts and spaghettic
Add the spaghetti and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
Lemon Brussels sprout pasta in a skillet with tongs
Toss the spaghetti with the cooked vegetables.
A hand sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese over lemon Brussels sprout pasta in a skillet.
Turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmesan.
A serving of lemon Brussels sprout pasta in a bowl with a fork.
Serve topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper, and extra grated parmesan cheese.
5 from 4 votes

Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprout Pasta

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Author: Taesha Butler
This Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprout Pasta is quick to make in under 30 minutes and is made with shredded Brussels sprouts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated parmesan cheese. Simple, flavorful, and fast…the perfect easy, healthy dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces spaghetti, or pasta of choice
  • 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (or 1 bag shredded Brussels sprouts)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced shallot , or red onion
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the spaghetti 1 minute less than the package instructions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
    Spaghetti in a pot of water with a hand scooping out some pasta water with a measuring cup.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and the shallot/onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
  • Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon zest. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, and the vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Add the spaghetti and drizzle with the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the spaghetti with the cooked vegetables and continue to cook for a minute to allow the sauce to coat the pasta.
    Lemon Brussels spouts in a skillet with cooked spaghetti and a hand pouring olive oil over the mixture.
  • Turn off the heat, then stir in the grated parmesan. If the pasta sauce seems too dry, stir in a splash or two more of the pasta water. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
  • To finish, serve pasta on a platter or individual plates then top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper, and extra grated parmesan cheese.
    Lemon Parmesan Brussels sprout pasta on a white serving plate with two forks.

Notes

This dish is best enjoyed right after it’s made. However, you can cook the Brussels sprouts part of the dish a day ahead and reheat it in a pan before cooking and adding the pasta.
 
Want to make this dairy-free? You can leave out the parmesan, but make sure to taste and add more salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.
To add more flavor, you can top the final dish with some toasted chopped walnuts or almonds. You could also make some garlic breadcrumbs and sprinkle those on top for some extra flavor and texture.
You can use any spaghetti you like for this recipe –whole wheat, gluten-free, or bean-based pastas will work well.
If you don’t need this pasta to be vegetarian, chicken or pork Italian sausage would be a great addition. You could also add some cooked chicken or shrimp.
Calories: 312kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 414mg, Potassium: 540mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 622IU, Vitamin C: 73mg, Calcium: 109mg, Iron: 2mg