8-ingredient Easy and Delicious Lemon Pepper Pasta.
Easy.
Lemony.
DELICIOUS.
I came up with this lemon pepper pasta recipe after my neighbor dropped off a couple bags of humongous, gorgeous looking Meyer lemons from her backyard. I made a bunch of sweet things (duh), but I was particularly intrigued by the idea of making something non-sweet. A savory dish using lemons. I thought instantly of Melissa Clark’s lemon pasta recipe, which I’d tried many years ago when I first started cooking. It was a fail. So, inspired by my cousin’s lesson on making the perfect aglio e olio, I went in a much lighter, but still lemony, direction. And it turned out perfect!
Let’s get into it!
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KEY INGREDIENTS AND NOTES ON SUBSTITUTIONs For This Lemon Pepper Pasta Recipe.
The following are the key ingredients for this lemon pepper pasta recipe:
Lemons.
BREAKING NEWS: you’re going to need lemons for this lemon pepper pasta recipe! Ha! Hopefully, this doesn’t come as a real surprise to ya! What kind of lemons? Well, Meyer lemons would be great. Why? They tend to be sweeter and less acidic than the average lemon, thus making them perfect for cooking. They are also prettier (💅) than regular lemons (in my opinion) because their rinds are darker yellow. But, no worries, if you only have regular lemons, those will do fine. I made this recipe using both and the pasta turned out delicious!!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
In addition to the lemon, the real workhorse of this lemon pepper pasta recipe is the extra virgin olive oil. Combined with the pasta water and the lemon, your EVOO is going to help bring this sauce or broth (depending on how you like this dish) together through emulsification. Because of that, I would try to use an olive oil that you would use for salad dressing–i.e., the kind that tastes so good you enjoy the flavor of it.
Can you substitute with a different kind of oil? Sure. But it will have a noticeable impact on flavor, depending on what you use. A neutral vegetable oil would work for emulsification purposes, but you’ll lose out on the lovely notes from your olive oil, get my drift? You can also substitute with vegan butter, for extra flavor and richness.
Garlic.
I think garlic goes exceptionally well with lemon and it’s a “must-have” for aglio e olio (which literally means “garlic and oil”). Accordingly, this lemon pepper pasta recipe calls for just one clove of garlic (though you can absolutely add more!). You can even remove it before you add in the pasta or just omit garlic altogether if you don’t like garlic (believe it or not one my Italian cousins hates garlic!!).
Pasta.
This is a lemon pepper pasta recipe, so yeah… it’s going to include pasta! Because this is a lemonification of aglio e olio, I prefer spaghetti for this recipe. I think the sauce, which is not as robust or thick as an alfredo or marinara, sticks well to a long, thinner pasta like spaghetti or capellini. But, you do you! Whatever pasta you enjoy or have on hand is the perfect pasta for this lemon pepper pasta recipe. Also, yes, please use gluten-free pasta for this if you are gluten-free!
Red Pepper Flakes.
Yes, this is the “pepper” part of this lemon pepper pasta recipe. It adds the perfect level of heat and, again, is right out of the playbook of flavors in many Italian dishes. Feel free to leave these out (if your spice tolerance is low) or substitute with several generous cracks of black pepper! Different flavor profile (smoke, but less sweet), but still delicious!
Fresh Parsley.
Ok, usually, parsley is an afterthought, something we food bloggers throw onto a dish for color and aesthetics more than anything else. But in this lemon pepper pasta recipe, you really need the parsley. You can use flat leaf (“Italian parsley”) or curly–either will complement the lemony notes perfectly for this dish. So don’t skip this one!!
Vegan Parmesan.
The sauce for this lemon pepper pasta recipe includes a bit of grated vegan parmesan for extra flavor and savoriness and fattiness. Again, the sauce will not work very well for this pasta dish without fat and the vegan parm offers another dimension of richness to an otherwise minimalist dish! My preferred brand of vegan parmesan is Violife; however, if you don’t have vegan parmesan, you can always skip it or replace it with a little nutritional yeast.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Making This Lemon Pepper Pasta Recipe.
Step 1: Infuse Your Oil.
Place a large pot of water on the stovetop. Salt your water generously. Then, place a large skillet over the top of your water, while it comes to a boil. Add olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. This will allow the oil to infuse with the flavor of garlic, lemon, and the peppers without burning them.
Step 2: Cook Your Pasta.
When your water has come to a healthy boil, add your pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, keep that pan with the oil in it over the top of your pasta pot, while it cooks. When the pasta is cooked until al dente, remove the pan on top of the pot and place it directly over medium heat. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining your pasta (or, I like to just scoop the pasta right out of my pasta pot and into my pan when it’s time to do so).
Step 3: Bring the Pasta Together.
Keep your pan on medium heat and allow the oil to get hot–it will start bubbling and the garlic will start to brown around the edges (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).
Then, lower heat to low and add your cooked pasta, together with 1 cup of pasta water, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously with tongs or chopsticks, as this agitation will optimize emulsification. Give it a taste and add more salt if necessary. Supplement with more pasta water and stir if you prefer a brothier pasta.
Remove from heat. Garnish with parsley, fresh lemon zest, and a drop or two of olive oil before serving!
Frequently Asked Questions.
Will this lemon pepper pasta taste too lemony?
Lemon pepper pasta can taste overly lemony to some, while being perfectly lemony to others. It really depends upon how much you like that flavor! This particular lemon pepper pasta is fairly “gentle” on the lemoniness factor, though you can certainly amp that up by adding a tablespoon (or 2) more of lemon juice. Also, if you use Meyer lemons, you’ll guard against excessive acidity.
Can I make this lemon pepper pasta gluten-free?
Absolutely. Just be sure to use your favorite gluten-free pasta and this lemon pepper pasta recipe will be entirely gluten-free!
What do I do with leftovers?
Feed them to your Italian husband. Oh, you don’t have one of those?? 🤣 You can stick this lemon pepper pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days before that parsley starts to taste not great, after sitting in all that oil (which will harden, btw). You can reheat it by throwing it in the microwave for a couple minutes or recooking it over the stovetop with a smidgeon more oil.
Recipe Card.
8-Ingredient Lemon Pepper Pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for garnish)
- 1 cloves garlic (thinly sliced–add more if you like!)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (plus more for garnish)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp course sea salt
- 1/2 lb dried spaghetti
- 2 tbsp vegan parmesan (grated, plus more for garnish)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water on the stovetop. Salt your water generously. Then, place a large skillet over the top of your water, while it comes to a boil. Add olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. This will allow the oil to infuse with the flavor of garlic, lemon, and the peppers without burning them.
- When your water has come to a healthy boil, add your pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, keep that pan with the oil in it over the top of your pasta pot while it cooks. When the pasta is cooked until al dente, remove the pan on top of the pot and place it directly over medium heat. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining your pasta (or, I like to just scoop the pasta right out of my pasta pot and into my pan when it's time to do so).
- Keep your pan on medium heat and allow the oil to get hot–it will start bubbling and the garlic will start to brown around the edges (about 30 seconds to 1 minute). Then, lower heat to low and add your cooked pasta, together with 1 cup of pasta water, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Stir vigorously with tongs or chopsticks, as this agitation will optimize emulsification. Give it a taste and add more salt if necessary. Supplement with more pasta water and stir if you prefer a brothier pasta. Remove from heat. Garnish with parsley, fresh lemon zest, more vegan parm, and a drop or two of olive oil before serving!
