5 Ingredient Lemon Pepper Pasta

Lemon pepper pasta is the ultimate 5 ingredient dish that comes together insanely fast. The bright lemon flavor is complimented by a peppercorn mix for some heat, fresh herbs, and of course lots of fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese!

Lemon pepper pasta is seriously amazing. You only need five ingredients, 20 minutes, and a love of lemon and pepper to enjoy this tasty pasta dish.

I’ve been making this pasta for as long as I’ve been cooking. I’m not sure why it has taken me this long to share it, but here we are. As I mentioned in my eggplant parmesan post, this is my favorite side dish to serve alongside the eggplant. Whenever I have a saucy chicken or eggplant parmesan on my dinner menu you will absolutely see lemon pepper pasta on the side. It’s just a such a fantastic pairing!

I’m also a huge fan of enjoying this pasta on its own. It’s perfect for nights when you need a quick dinner but you still want to appear like you made an effort.

Lemon Pepper Pasta

Five ingredient meals make life so much easier. All you need is a pound of pasta (spaghetti is my fav for this), mixed peppercorns, lemons, fresh herbs, and lots of freshly grated parm. You’ll also need olive oil and salt, which I’m counting as freebies. We all have olive oil and salt, right?

You’ll want to start by cooking your pasta in a big pot of boiling (salted) water. While the pasta cooks, we’ll make the sauce. Crush your peppercorn mix with whatever means necessary. I use a mortar and pestle, but a peppermill or a plastic bag/rolling pin will both work just fine, too!

Now you’ll heat the pepper into the olive oil. I know it seems like a lot of pepper, but this isn’t a heat-heavy dish. You get more of a peppery flavor than a burning flavor, which I just love paired with the bright lemon.

Next, whisk the oil/pepper mixture with lemon juice, lemon zest, and a full cup of pasta water. The pasta water is what helps this get saucy, so don’t forget it! While you’re tossing the pasta with the sauce you can throw in the herbs too. I love a mix of basil, parsley, and chives. If it seems like it’s not soaking up the sauce, don’t worry! I promise it will as you add in the cheese.

Keep tossing and add the cheese in a handful at a time – not all at once or you’ll have a clumpy mess! Once the sauce is clinging nicely to the pasta it’s time to taste. You may need a pinch or two of salt depending on how salty your pasta water was. Now serve it up with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of fresh parm on top!

This lemon pepper pasta is eat-straight-from-the-pan good, people. Bon Appetit!

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Lemon Pepper Pasta

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

 

Lemon pepper pasta is the ultimate 5 ingredient dish that comes together insanely fast. The bright lemon flavor is complimented by a peppercorn mix for some heat, fresh herbs, and of course lots of fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese!

Ingredients

• Kosher Salt
• 1 Lb. Spaghetti, or your favorite pasta shape (gluten-free works well!)
• ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Mixed Peppercorns (black, pink, green, red, and white), finely crushed*
• ¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice + The Zest, about 2 lemons
• 1 Cup Mixed Fresh Herbs, I like basil, parsley, and chives
• 1 ½ Cups Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, plus extra for tossing

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it generously with kosher salt. This step is very important as it’s the only time to salt the pasta! Add in your pasta and cook it to al dente. Drain and reserve 2 cups of the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over low heat in a small skillet. Add in the ground pepper and allow it to sizzle and cook for about 1 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice and then a cup of the pasta water.
4. Toss the pasta well with the sauce and herbs. Then, start adding small handfuls of the cheese allowing it to melt into the pasta as you toss. Don’t add all the cheese at once or it will end up being a clumpy mess! Add additional pasta water if you need to.
5. Give the lemon pepper pasta a taste and add salt if it needs it.
6. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of parm. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*You can crush whole peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, a peppermill, or pop them into a baggie and use a rolling pin!

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5 Ingredient Caprese Pasta

Olive Tapenade Spaghetti with Crispy Breadcrumbs