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Lemon Pepper Pasta

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Lemon Pepper Pasta | Delicious and budget-friendly, this lemon pepper pasta is bright and zesty, and super easy to make. This 20-minute meal combines comforting pasta with tangy lemon zest and juice, spicy fresh cracked black pepper, and zippy garlic. Add spinach to this easy pasta dinner for some easy added nutrients.

Pasta swirled in a bowl with spinach, cheese, and lemon slices on the side.
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Lemon pepper pasta sauce is an easy weeknight meal, that comes together quickly. While your pasta boils you can make the simple pan sauce and once the noodles are drained you are almost ready to serve. Just give everything a quick mix serve with extra grated cheese, a drizzle of the sauce, and more ground black pepper.

The lemon zest and juice in this recipes gives the pasta a nice freshness. Some grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese brings it all together and freshly ground black pepper gives a mild heat.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredients for lemon pepper pasta on a white marble background.
  • lemon zest and juice: I like to use fresh lemons for this recipe, but bottled lemon juice can be used instead.
  • pepper: I use freshly ground pepper because it has a zippier flavor and with a medium coarsely ground peppercorn you get powdered pepper as well as some little flakes and chunks which I like. If you try ground black pepper, you may need a little less like ½ to ¾ of a teaspoon.
  • pasta: I use spaghettini for the pasta dish because I like that it's a bit thinner than spaghetti noodles. I like the texture better.
  • cheese: Asiago cheese, freshly grated adds a savory cheesy flavor.
  • spinach: a few handfuls of spinach to bring a bit of greens to the plate.
  • olive oil and garlic: for additional flavor in the sauce

Substitutions

  • pasta: Linguine, fettucine, and spaghetti are all good substitutes for the spaghettini noodles in this recipe. I'm sure you could use many other pastas, including smaller pasta shapes like gemelli pasta or penne.
  • Asiago: try Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano instead.
  • spinach: try greens peas, asparagus, or chopped kale instead.

Instructions

Prep Tips

  • You'll make the pan sauce while the noodles cook.
  • This is a fast recipe, prep everything before starting to cook.

This pasta dish comes together so quickly! While the pasta cooks you can make the sauce and you just mix everything together and serve!

Pasta beginning to bowl in a large pot of water.

Cook your pasta to al dente, following the package instructions.

Scooping a cup of pasta water out of a pot of boiling pasta.

When the pasta is ready, keep 1 cup of water aside and then drain the noodles.

Pouring olive oil into a skillet.

While the pasta cooks, make the sauce by heating olive oil over medium in a skillet. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so.

Adding lemon juice to olive oil and garlic in a skillet.

Add the pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir and heat through.

Adding the lemon pepper sauce to the cooked noodles.

Add the sauce to the noodles.

Mixing spinach into noodles using tongs.

Add the spinach and cheese to the noodles and stir. Add the pasta water while stirring, using as much as you want. I use the whole cup usually. Let it sit a minute to thicken up.

Spooning lemon pepper sauce onto noodles.

Serve the noodles on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle extra lemon pepper sauce on top.

Sprinkling cheese onto lemon pepper pasta in a bowl.

Scatter extra grated cheese on top for serving. Grate more black pepper overtop.

Add extra lemon wedges on the side for squeezing on top.

Pasta swirled in a bowl with spinach, cheese, and lemon slices on the side.

Tips for making Lemon Pepper Pasta

  • cooking the pasta: cook the pasta to your preference, I prefer mine cooked to al dente. You can use the package instructions and once you reach the lowest time in the instructions start testing the noodles every minute until they are done.
  • saving pasta water: don't forget to save a cup of water from the boiling noodles. I do this once the noodles are done cooking, just before I drain them. The starchy water will help make a sauce and helps that sauce stick to the noodles.
  • fresh pepper: I like freshly ground black pepper for this recipe and I grind it into a bowl and then measure it. Try store-bought ground pepper if you want to, but you'll probably need less because it's a really find grind.
  • fresh lemon: fresh lemon is best for this recipe for taste but also because the zest is used.

What noodles can you use for Lemon Pepper Pasta?

I like spaghettini for this recipes but you could also use another long pasta shape like fettucine, linguine, or spaghetti. You could also try a short pasta shape like bowties, or gemelli.

Can I add protein or vegetables to this dish?

Yes, this dish is so simple and it's really easy to customize. Add grilled chicken or shrimp on the side or toss in some sautéed mushrooms, kale, green peas, asparagus, or green beans.

Pasta swirled in a bowl with spinach, cheese, and lemon slices on the side.

What to serve with Lemon Pepper Pasta

Pair this easy pasta dish with a simple vegetable side dish like Roasted Broccoli + Carrots, or Roasted Green Beans. Try some bread on the side with my Easy Baked Garlic Bread, or a Pull Apart Cheesy Garlic Bread. For protein, try my Stuffed Jalapeno Popper Chicken, or keep it vegetarian with Lentil Balls.

For another easy pasta dish, try my Creamy 5 Ingredient Hummus Pasta.

Storage

Store the leftovers in the fridge in a container with a lid. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet with a bit of water.

Pasta swirled in a bowl with spinach, cheese, and lemon slices on the side.

FAQs

What is lemon pepper sauce made of?

Lemon pepper sauce from scratch is made with lemon juice, lemon zest, pasta water, fresh garlic, and ground black pepper.

Recipe

Pasta swirled in a bowl with spinach, cheese, and lemon slices on the side.

Lemon Pepper Pasta

Jacqueline Piper
5 from 4 votes
Delicious and budget friendly, this lemon pepper pasta is bright and zesty, and super easy to make. This 20-minute meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 oz long pasta like spaghettini (see notes)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • kosher salt (to taste)
  • 2 cups spinach (chopped)
  • ½ cup grated Asiago cheese

Instructions
 

  • Prep: Make sure everything is prepped and ready to go, the sauce takes only 2 minutes to put together.
  • Cook the pasta: Boil a pot of water for the pasta and cook it to al dente, according to the package instructions.
  • Save the water: When the pasta has a few minutes left to cook, reserve one cup of the cooking water, and start heating the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
    Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
  • Make the sauce: Add the garlic to the oil and cook, stirring, for about a minute or until fragrant, being careful not to let it get too brown.
    Add the pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir.
  • Mix: Add the sauce to the pasta. Add the spinach. Add cheese if using. Stir and heat through (about 1 minute).
    Add pasta water slowly while stirring to make a sauce. I usually use almost the whole cup.
    Let sit for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken slightly and the spinach wilt.
  • Serve: with extra cracked black pepper, grated cheese, and lemon slices (all optional).

Video

Notes

Substitutions/Additions:
Try a different pasta like linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti.
Use green peas, asparagus, or kale instead of spinach.
Add a protein on the side like grilled chicken, shrimp, or veggie balls. 
Serve more vegetables on the side like steamed or roasted broccoli or green beans.
Store in the fridge for 4-5 days - reheat in the microwave or a skillet with a splash of water.

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz pastaCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 13gFat: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 2g

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.

Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
Keyword 20 minute meals, pasta
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

Pasta swirled in a bowl with spinach, cheese, and lemon slices on the side.

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Jacqueline Piper profile photo

Hi I'm Jacqueline

I've been blogging for 10 years as I learn how to cook from scratch. I share my recipes to help you create easy, delicious, and (mostly) healthy food. I love fresh ingredients, spicy noodles, anything on toast, and reading a new cookbook with a glass of wine at my cabin. I'm so glad you've joined me.

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  1. Usman Ashfaq

    Wow nice

    Reply

    • Jacqueline Piper

      Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this lemon pepper pasta recipe 🙂

      Reply

  2. Mary Hemphill

    This was amazing in lemon flavor! My husband just smiled and said it was really flavorful and delicious, then kept eating! LOL Will definitely make again! Thank you for such a wonderful creative dish. We all enjoyed it very much!

    Reply

    • Jacqueline Piper

      Ah, that's great! I'm so glad you both enjoyed this recipe also. Thanks for commenting!

      Jacqueline

      Reply