It’s creamy and dreamy. It’s peppery and lemony. It’s basically cacio e pepe meets pasta al limone and it is one of my quick, go-to pasta recipes. A generous amount of freshly cracked pepper gets dry toasted, then simmered in heavy cream with lemon zest until thickened. The sauce is finished with very starchy, salty pasta water, lemon juice, and a generous amount of parmesan reggiano cheese. A purely divine pasta.

Two things that are an absolute must for this recipe – grate your own cheese and grind your pepper. The parmesan will melt and incorporate into the sauce so much better than any pre-shredded cheeses out there, and pepper is the star so go the extra step and just grind it yourself. The flavor will be ten times better.

The secret to this dish is dry toasting the cracked pepper. Toasting the pepper brings out the flavor to create an aroma that sings with the lemon throughout the sauce. Yes, cracking two tablespoons of pepper by hand is an annoying task, but it is worth it. You just won’t get the same flavor if you are using pre-ground. One thing I love to do to make it feel healthy is add peas in the last few minutes of cooking the pasta. Peas add little bursts of freshness throughout the rich pasta which I love. Also, be sure to take your pasta out before it reaches al dente. We are going to continue to cook the pasta in the sauce and one thing we hate is overcooked pasta.

This pasta really gives all the Italian summer feels and I’m here for it. I recommend serving alongside a crisp glass of white wine to really take you to the Italian Riviera!

creamy lemon pepper pasta

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

It’s creamy and dreamy. It’s peppery and lemony. It’s basically cacio e pepe meets pasta al limone and it is one of my quick, go-to pasta recipes. A generous amount of freshly cracked pepper gets dry toasted, then simmered in heavy cream with lemon zest until thicken. The sauce is finished with very starchy, salty pasta water, lemon juice and a generous amount of parmesan reggiano cheese. A purely divine pasta.

Ingredients

8 oz pasta
2 tablespoons cracked pepper
½ cup heavy cream
1 lemon, zest & juice
2 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup pasta water
½ cup parmesan reggiano cheese, finely grated
Fresh lemon zest, cracked pepper, and grated cheese for garnish

Directions

Zest lemon with a microplane then cut it in half and squeeze out juice into a small bowl, about two tablespoons of liquid.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water that has been heavily salted. Cook until the pasta is just under al dente, a couple minutes less than the cooking time on the package. Reserve your pasta water, about 1 cup or more (better to have more here), and strain.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. While the pan heats, start cracking your pepper. Fresh cracked pepper is a must. Getting two tablespoons will take a minute, but the wait is well worth the hand pain. Once the pan is noticeably hot, add your cracked pepper. Swirl around to distribute in an even layer and let toast until fragrant, about a minute or two.
Add in cream and lemon zest and cook until the liquid just begins to simmer, whisking often. Reduce heat to low and add the cold butter one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified.
Add lemon juice and about ½ a cup of pasta water to start with the cooked pasta. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce. Start sprinkling in the parmesan and continue tossing until the sauce starts coming together. Season as needed.
Divide pasta among bowls. Top with lemon zest and parmesan cheese, cracked pepper, if desired.

Recipe Video

Notes

Grate your own cheese and grind your pepper! The parmesan will melt and incorporate into the sauce so much better than any pre-shredded cheeses out there, and pepper is the star so go the extra step and just grind it yourself. The flavor will be ten times better.