This Peppery Lemon Herb Linguine is the perfect weekday staple. It has everything a good dinner dish needs: pasta, cracked black pepper, toasted almonds, lemon, fresh parsley and a light sprinkle of Parmesan. Plus, this recipe is super fast to whip up and requires minimal ingredients. The end result is a light and herby batch of superb carbs.
But I should warn you: if you don’t LOVE cracked black pepper, maybe just start small with the pepper and build up to your level of comfort. All that pepper gives this pasta a bit of a bite.
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Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the linguine (or pasta of choice) and cook about 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente.
As always, my go to “bite test” is the best way to ensure al dente pasta doneness. Take a strand of linguine and bite it through the center. If the center is hard and still white, it needs more time. If it is slightly snappy but not white in the center, it is done. Cooking the pasta past this point will result in very soft and can become quite mushy, which nobody enjoys.
Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
After reserving the pasta water and draining the pasta (or removing it with tongs), transfer the pasta to a large bowl and lightly toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Why You Should Keep Your Pasta Water
Pasta water is often the secret ingredient of many pan sauces. As the pasta cooks, it releases starches into the water. The starchy water is useful as a thickening agent for sauces. The starches act as emulsifiers and help the sauce ingredients bind together to form a cohesive sauce that actually sticks to your noodles, rather than pooling on your plate.
Pasta water can be added in with jar sauce to give it some extra flair and sticking power. Toss some in with a can of crushed tomatoes, basil, sautéed mushrooms and red wine and make a killer mushroom red sauce. Add a little into a pesto to liven it up. Or combine with fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh herbs to make a light lemon sauce (oh, wait, that’s what we’re about to do!).
With pasta water, the world is your oyster!
I like to use pasta water in conjunction with chicken or vegetable broths or sometimes on its own. It just depends on the application. But I have learned to always keep a few cups on the side before draining my pasta, just in case my sauce needs to be resuscitated. 😉
In fact, some cooks even refuse to drain their pasta at all because they don’t want to lose the valuable pasta water. So, instead they use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the pasta and then keep the water, either using it in sauces or freezing it into cubes to be used in the future in sauces or even broths and soups!
Step 2: Make the Pepper Lemon Sauce
The most important part of the Peppery Lemon Herb Pasta is the pepper lemon sauce. Yum!
Use the now empty saucepan to make the sauce. Spray with cooking spray. Heat to medium heat.
First, add the coarsely chopped almonds to the pan and let toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
Then, add the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the butter is melted and sizzling. Stir regularly to prevent burning.
A Word About (Vegan) Butter
Just a note about butter. I have been using vegan butter (without even realizing it’s vegan) for awhile now and I definitely approve of it. I like to use it in my dishes because it is plant-based, lower in saturated fat and it tastes just like butter anyway! The brand I recommend is Earth Balance. All of their spreads are vegan, non-dairy, lactose-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
I use their olive oil spread all the time! It works well in savory dishes, breads, muffins, frostings and glazes. It doesn’t seem to perform as well in my cookies, but I like their products so much I’m willing to try another zillion batches using their other spreads to see which works best (stay tuned for that). So if you want a well vetted butter replacement, I highly recommend checking out Earth Balance spreads.
And I promise I wasn’t paid to say that. I’m just a true fan girl. 🙂
Back to the Pepper Lemon Sauce
Now that the butter is sizzling, add the garlic and lemon zest and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Stir often.
Next, add the lemon juice, ¼ cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, and ½ cup reserved pasta water to the pan. Scrape up any bits of almond or seasoning stuck to the pan.
Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce heat. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the liquid reduces by about 1/3. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Add the Pasta & Serve
Lastly, add the pasta and parsley to the pan. Mix well to incorporate. The noodles should be coated with the sauce and the parsley should be well distributed.
Divide pasta among 6 plates and garnish with Parmesan cheese and additional lemon zest and parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
This dish pairs well with Italian chicken sausage or Honey Garlic Salmon.
Let us know what you think about this Peppery Lemon Herb Linguine! Make sure to tag us on Instagram @sticksscratchkitchen in your creations!
Looking for more pasta dishes? Make sure to give these a try!
- One Pot Mushroom and Chickpea Pasta
- Healthier Swedish Turkey Meatballs
- Pad Thai with Crispy Honey Sesame Tofu
- Easy Spaghetti Pomodoro
- Chunky Marinara Sauce
Peppery Lemon Herb Linguine
Ingredients
- ¼ c almonds, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (I use olive oil butter)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper (less if desired)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 16 oz linguine
- ½ c fresh parsley, chopped
- ⅓ c Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add linguine. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking. Toss to coat.
- Spray the saucepan with non-stick spray and heat to medium heat. Add almonds and toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until butter is melted and sizzling. Stir regularly to prevent burning.
- Add the garlic and lemon zest. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.
- Mix in the lemon juice, ¼ cup broth, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking until the liquid is reduced by ⅓ (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Toss in the linguine and parsley and mix well to coat the pasta. Divide the pasta among 6 plates and garnish with Parmesan cheese and additional lemon zest and parsley, if desired.
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