Lemon Pepper Pasta (Lemon Cacio e Pepe)
This creamy Lemon Pepper Pasta is indulgent and heavenly! It's just like a traditional cacio e pepe, but with lemon flavor thrown in!
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 363kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 medium nonstick pan
- mortar & pestle **see step 5**
- microplane/zester
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 8 oz Spaghetti or Linguini
- 4 cups Water for pasta
- ½ tablespoon Salt for pasta water
- 2 cups Pecorino Romano Cheese grated finely
- ½ tablespoon Whole black peppercorns crushed
- ¼ cup Lemon juice 1 lemon
- ½ tablespoon Lemon zest
- ½ cup Reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil with around ½ tablespoon of salt in the water.
- Boil pasta to al dente according to box instructions.
- Meanwhile, zest and juice 1 lemon.
- Measure out 2 cups of pecorino and set aside.
- Crush whole peppercorns using a mortar and pestle, a bowl and a flat object (such as the end of a handle-less rolling pin), or by putting peppercorns in a plastic bag and hitting them with a mallet.
- Remove at least ½ cup of starchy pasta water. Set aside.
- Drain and set aside cooked pasta.
- Heat a medium sized non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Dry toast the crushed black peppercorns, stirring often until fragrant.
- Add the lemon zest and stir to combine. The oils from the zest may sizzle a bit and should become very fragrant.
- Once lightly toasted, add the lemon juice and turn the heat to low.
- Stir to combine and allow to simmer gently on low heat for about 5 minutes.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl (large enough for 3 cups of volume), add the grated pecorino cheese.
- Make a small well in the middle and pour in the reserved pasta water.
- Use a whisk to combine until the pecorino is thoroughly melted into a "cream."
- Add cooked pasta to the pan with lemon and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Use a rubber spatula to scoop all of the pecorino cream onto the pasta. Stir until well combined.
- The dish should be plenty salty, but taste and add more if you wish.
- Serve while hot and garnish with more black pepper and lemon zest and pecorino on top.
Notes
- Black pepper has a very unique, floral, and almost fruity flavor and aroma. Because this is such a core ingredients in this recipe, please do not use pre-ground black pepper. I highly recommend using whole peppercorns and crushing them yourself, but fresh cracked will work too if necessary.
- Pecorino Romano cheese can sometimes be difficult to find, though I think it is worth the search! If necessary, a very high quality parmigiano reggiano or grana padano cheese can work instead.
- I recommend buying the pecorino cheese pre-grated (usually in a tub or bag–NOT THE GREEN TUBE!). However, if you can only find whole cheeses, cut the pecorino into cubes and throw it into a food processor or blender. It should be grated into a "dust" like texture, not microplaned.
Nutrition
Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1488mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 547mg | Iron: 1mg
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