This Lemon Pepper Pasta is an incredibly easy, bright & flavorful dish that’s ready in less than 20 minutes! The creamy sauce features garlic, lemon zest & juice, fresh cracked black pepper and parmesan. It’s simple yet so satisfying and will leave you wanting to go back for seconds…or thirds 😉
Spring is just around the corner (umm how!?) so cue all the lemon-flavored things from here on out. I am a total citrusy girl so this type of meal is music to my ears. Even my husband, who isn’t so obsessed with lemon in savory foods, said it was one of his favorite recipes!
And honestly, I can’t get over how quickly this Lemon Pepper Pasta comes together. It’s SO flavorful yet SO easy. That’s a win in my book!
If you’ve ever tried Cacio e Pepe (an italian pasta dish with cheese & black pepper), this recipe is kind of similar but with a bright, lemon twist! We add both lemon zest and juice for the ultimate tangy citrus flavor, and of course some heavy cream and parmesan to create a rich, decadent sauce.
Pair this Lemon Pepper Pasta with your favorite protein and veggie and you have the perfect, balanced dinner! Hope you love it as much as we did 🙂
Why You’ll Love this Lemon Pepper Pasta
- It takes less than 20 minutes!
- This recipe only requires a handful of basic ingredients.
- This pasta dish is exploding with bright, citrus flavor and pungent black pepper.
- The sauce is simple, creamy and refreshing.
- You can easily make this gluten free!
- It’s the perfect intro to Spring meal that still feels cozy and comforting.
What You Need to Make this Lemon Pepper Pasta
- Spaghetti: Really any pasta shape will work here! You can use gluten free (Jovial & Banza are two of my faves) or normal.
- Butter: Unsalted butter (normal or vegan) is my preference as it allows you to control the amount of salt you add.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic for extra flavor!
- Lemon: Load it up with fresh squeezed lemon juice & zest for that vibrant, bright flavor.
- Heavy Cream: To bring the sauce together and make it creamy. For my dairy-free friends, you can swap in a plant-based heavy cream alternative such as Country Crock Plant Cream.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: LOTS of black pepper involved in this recipe – 1 whole teaspoon, to be exact! Season to taste with kosher salt.
- Parmesan: Finish it off with freshly grated parmesan for extra richness and saltiness. For a dairy-free option, you can try using a vegan parmesan but it may not melt as well.
How To Make this Lemon Pepper Pasta
Cook Pasta to Al Dente:
First, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it’s close to boiling, be sure to season it HEAVILY with kosher salt. Just trust me on this!
Then, once boiling, add your pasta and cook it to al dente according to package directions. It’ll continue cooking when it gets added to the sauce later on.
Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water before draining!
Sauté the Garlic:
While the pasta is cooking, bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add butter and let it melt. Then, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. It will burn easily so keep stirring and move quickly!
Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly add in the heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and parmesan. Add in the black pepper and season to taste with kosher salt.
Continue cooking and stirring for several minutes until the parmesan is melted and the sauce is smooth and warm.
Toss the Pasta in Lemon Pepper Sauce:
Add in the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Add several splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and help it coat the pasta.
Finally, top with more fresh cracked black pepper, grated parmesan and parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Do I Have to Use Spaghetti?
Nope! You can use whatever pasta shape you prefer. I just happened to have spaghetti on hand so that’s what I used. But pick a noodle that will easily get coated in all that delicious lemon pepper sauce.
Can I use Lemon Pepper Seasoning Instead?
I have not tried this recipe with lemon pepper seasoning yet. It should work fine but will definitely taste different than using fresh lemon juice, zest and cracked black pepper.
If you are opting to use store-bought lemon pepper seasoning, I’d recommend starting with 1 tsp and adding more as needed.
Can I Make this Gluten Free? Dairy Free?
Making this Lemon Pepper Pasta gluten free is super easy. Just swap out the normal spaghetti with your favorite gluten free variety. I personally love the Jovial and Banza brands.
As for making this dairy free, you would need to 1) swap out the heavy cream for a plant-based alternative like Country Crock Plant Cream, 2) use vegan butter or olive oil, 3) swap in vegan parmesan or omit the cheese entirely. Let me know if you have success with a dairy free version!
Expert Tips:
- Heavily salt the pasta water: Right as the water is coming to a boil, add a LOT of kosher salt (more than you’d expect). This will help the pasta be seasoned from the inside out and create an overall more flavorful dish.
- Cook pasta only to al dente: It will continue cooking when it gets added to the sauce so shave roughly 1 minute off the cook time listed on the package instructions.
- Move quickly when sautéing the garlic: It has a tendency to burn so make sure to stir often, and only for about a minute before moving on to the next step.
- Thin the sauce out with reserved pasta water: Keep adding splashes of reserved pasta water until it’s your preferred consistency and the sauce coats the noodles.
What Should I Serve this With?
This Lemon Pepper Pasta is a delicious building block for a balanced meal. Pair it with your protein of choice, such as air-fried chicken or salmon, and a veggie on the side (steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus, etc). You could even wilt some spinach into the lemon pepper sauce prior to adding the pasta!
How Should I Re-Heat This?
For the best results, I definitely recommend adding the leftovers Lemon Pepper Pasta back into a saucepan, turning it to medium heat and thinning it out with a bit more water or chicken broth. If you happen to still have some of that reserved pasta water…even better, use that!
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Pasta Recipes?
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta (One-Pan)
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo
- Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Soup
Lemon Pepper Pasta
Equipment
- large pot
- colander
- large pan
- microplane zester
- spatula
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- juice from 1 small lemon
- zest from ½ lemon
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan
- 1 tsp black pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al-dente according to package directions. Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water before draining!8 oz spaghetti
- While the pasta is cooking, bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add butter and let it melt. Then, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.1 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 garlic cloves
- Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly add in the heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and parmesan. Add in the black pepper and season to taste with kosher salt. Continue cooking and stirring for several minutes until the parmesan is melted and the sauce is smooth and warm.½ cup heavy cream, juice from 1 small lemon, zest from ½ lemon, 1 tsp black pepper, kosher salt, ½ cup finely grated parmesan
- Add in the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Add several splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and help it coat the pasta.reserved pasta water
- Top with more grated parmesan, fresh cracked black pepper and/or parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
Ah! Loved this.
So easy & delish, right!?