In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest over medium heat until fragrant, but not brown, about 1 minute.
Add the stelle pasta and 2 cups of water along with some sea salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid and is al dente, about 7 minutes. Do not drain residual water.
Remove the pan from heat. Stir in half of the lemon juice and all of the parmesan cheese, then taste and add any additional lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper as desired. Serve while hot.