Lemon Pepper Pasta with Browned Butter

My version of a cacio e pepe, but with a colorful twist. This Lemon Pepper Pasta with a browned butter sauce is bright and light and one of my favorite spring dishes.

Ingredients

1 cup of rigatoni pasta (double for more servings)

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup pasta water

1 cup of parmesan cheese

1 lemon (zest and lemon juice)

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

In a large pot of boiling water and salt, add your pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan melt butter and garlic. Continue to stir the butter until it lightly browns and foams. Add in freshly ground pepper (about 1 full tablespoon) into the butter, then add salt and red pepper flakes. Add zest of one lemon onto the butter along with juice of HALF a lemon. Strain pasta and save 1 of pasta water. Add the pasta water and pasta into the butter sauce and stir everything together. On medium-high heat, continue to let the pasta cook in the pan until the sauce begins to thicken. Add in parmesan cheese and combine. Now is a good time to taste for flavor, you can add more pepper or salt or lemon depending on how you personally like it. Serve with more fresh pepper and cheese.