Everyone needs a good creamy pasta recipe, it’s good for the soul, and this creamy, easily-veganized, lemon pepper pasta is one of my summer favorites. The squash blossoms are optional, but they add a lovely color, flavor, and something extra to this humble little lemon pasta dish.
This pasta is very similar to pasta a limone, but I use a béchamel sauce as the base, just to create a little more creaminess and a slightly thicker sauce. It also feels like something the lemon juice can cling to, simultaneously cutting down the sharpness of the acid of the lemon, and welcoming it into a really rich and filling sauce. It’s light enough for a summer dinner, and easy enough for a weeknight meal. It’s one of my absolute favorites and definitely in my simple dinners roster.
Table of contents
Ingredients for this creamy lemon pepper pasta
- 16 ounces dried rigatoni
- 16 squash blossoms, optional
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large lemon
- 5 tbsp butter or vegan butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 & 2/3 cups milk of choice
- A few cracks of fresh black pepper
- Salt to taste
How to prepare the squash blossoms
Although the squash blossoms are optional, they are really lovely in this sauce. You need to prepare them just a bit to soften them beforehand, but otherwise they are an easy add-in.
To prepare the squash blossoms, get a large pan (enough to hold the pasta plus some), and melt 1 tbsp of the butter on medium heat. Add in the squash blossoms and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they are slightly softened but not wilted. Set these to the side.
How to make the béchamel and the pasta sauce
First use a microplane to grate the garlic and zest the entire lemon. Set this to the side.
On a one burner, start your pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a small palm full of salt and add in the pasta. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, add the rest of the butter to the large pan and let it melt. When the butter is melted, add in the grated garlic, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute and then add in the flour
Use a wooden spoon to mix this into a paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until all the raw flour flavor is cooked out and the paste is slightly more golden in color. Gradually pour in the milk, about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly to form a smooth sauce. Only pour in more milk with the sauce in the pan is smooth. When all the milk is gone, this should leave you with a smooth, thick, creamy sauce. Squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon and whisk it in. Generously add in a few cracks of black pepper. Stir to combine, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
The pasta should be done by now, so use a slotted spoon to transfer it directly into the sauce. Turn off the heat on the sauce pan, but leave it on your burner. Toss the pasta to coat it, and add a splash of pasta water to help everything emulsify.
Toss in the squash blossoms and stir until they are as equally creamy as the pasta.
Serve on large plates, add black pepper as you like and enjoy!
Looking for other pasta recipes?
Here are a few that I love love love:
Spring Pea Lemon Tahini Pasta
Za’atar Pasta
Kale Tahini Pasta
And that’s it for this creamy lemon pepper pasta recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried rigatoni
- 16 squash blossoms, optional
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large lemon
- 5 tbsp butter or vegan butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 & 2/3 cups milk of choice
- A few cracks of fresh black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- First use a microplane to grate the garlic and zest the entire lemon. Set this to the side. Then cut off all the stems of the squash blossoms, leaving only the flowering top.
- Get a large pan (enough to hold the pasta plus some), and melt 1 tbsp of the butter on medium heat. Add in the squash blossoms and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they are slightly softened but not wilted. Set these to the side.
- On a different burner, start your pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a small palm full of salt and add in the pasta. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the rest of the butter to the large pan and let it melt. When the butter is melted, add in the grated garlic, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute and then add in the flour.
- Use a wooden spoon to mix this into a paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until all the raw flour flavor is cooked out and the paste is slightly more golden in color. Gradually pour in the milk, about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly to form a smooth sauce. Only pour in more milk with the sauce in the pan is smooth. When all the milk is gone, this should leave you with a smooth, thick, creamy sauce. Squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon and whisk it in. Generously add in a few cracks of black pepper. Stir to combine, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- The pasta should be done by now, so use a slotted spoon to transfer it directly into the sauce. Turn off the heat on the sauce pan, but leave it on your burner. Toss the pasta to coat it, and add a splash of pasta water to help everything emulsify.
- Toss in the squash blossoms and stir until they are as equally creamy as the pasta.
- Serve on large plates, add black pepper as you like and enjoy!
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