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Cacio e pepe meets pasta al limone meets carbonara in this delicious Creamy Linguine with Lemon and Pancetta! It’s the ultimate Italian mash-up and is so good for an at-home date night.
This one is for all of my pasta lovers out there. I’ve always thought that it was so hard to find recipes that serve just two people, so I decide to create it myself. Whether you’re cooking at home for Valentine’s Day or just celebrating a special occasion with a loved one, you really can’t go wrong putting this dish on the table.
It’s a bright, creamy bowl and one of my absolute favorite pasta recipes ever. It is so simple in both flavor and execution, which, in my opinion, makes for the best recipes. The combination of lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice are such a lovely contrast to the rich heavy cream and salty Pecorino Romano. With pancetta tossed into the mix, it gives restaurant-quality vibes from the comfort of your own kitchen.
ingredients:
- Linguine
- Pancetta
- Garlic Cloves
- Shallot
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Heavy Cream
- Lemon Zest
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Pecorino Cheese
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Kosher Salt
step-by-step:
step one: cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and a heavy pinch of salt and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
step two: cook the pancetta
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, tossing occasionally, until the fat begins to render and it becomes slightly crispy, about 4 minutes.
step three: add the aromatics
Add the garlic, shallots, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, being careful not to burn, about 2 minutes.
step four: build the sauce
Add the heavy cream, lemon zest, and black pepper and stir to combine.
step five: combine the pasta and sauce
When the pasta is done cooking, reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Add the pecorino, lemon juice, and a pinch of kosher salt.
step six: make it glossy
Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss until the cheese melts and the linguine is glossy and well coated. If your sauce seems too thick and the pasta isn’t glossy, add the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water and continue to toss until well coated. Remove from the heat, taste, and add more salt, to taste.
step seven: garnish and serve
Serve with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
recipe faqs:
Diced guanciale or thick-cut bacon will work well!
Yes! Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of regular linguine. I love Jovial Foods brown rice pasta.
I like to top mine with additional pecorino and, of course, more red pepper flakes! I know y’all are going to absolutely love this Creamy Linguine with Lemon and Pancetta and I cannot wait to see you create it at home.
looking for more romantic pasta recipes? try these!
Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Saffron
Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu over Pappardelle
Creamy Linguine with Lemon and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine
- kosher salt, to taste
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 small lemon)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and a heavy pinch of salt and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, tossing occasionally, until the fat begins to render and it becomes slightly crispy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, shallots, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, being careful not to burn, about 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, lemon zest, and black pepper and stir to combine.
- When the pasta is done cooking, reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Add the Pecorino Romano, lemon juice, and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss until the cheese melts and the linguine is glossy and well coated. If your sauce seems too thick and the pasta isn’t glossy, add the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water and continue to toss until well coated. Remove from the heat, taste, and add more salt, to taste.
- Serve with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
Excellent! Made for a very nice New Year’s Day dinner. Served it with mini crabcakes. I will definitely make this again.✌️♥️🍴
Girl. This pasta is next level. Way better than the expensive Italian restaurant we had this week. Made it with applewood smoked bacon instead of pancetta and it was still really good. Thanks!
I am a cult follower of your recipes Alex! I’ve probably made at least 20 from your cookbooks and not a single one has been less than stunning! Last night we were craving Italian and I checked your blog first. This was SO GOOD. New favorite 😍
Thank you so very much, Madeline! I love this one so much, too!
Looks so yummy! Any tips for making ahead to serve for a dinner party?
If you do make ahead- you’ll just need to reheat on the stovetop and re-hydrate the pasta (as it will lose it’s glossy goodness). If you save a cup or so of pasta water that’d be ideal! Then reheat on medium and splash in 1/2 cup at a time until it’s rehydrated and glossy. You can also use chicken broth if you forgot to reserve the pasta water.
Yum!! Just yum!! So easy AND sooo good! Everyone needs to try this, can be for a quick weeknight meal or a special date night meal paired with a great wine, it’s that good and that easy❤️
This looks delicious. Could you sub Nutpods or coconut milk for the heavy cream?
Hi emily– you could potentially swap that in for just the heavy cream- but just keep in mind that the parmesan thickens it, too and adds a salty, nutty flavor. It will definitely change the consistency + overall taste of the dish.
I made this after my little ones went to bed and it came together quite quickly. This was an indulgent meal and is perfect for when you want the out to dinner feeling at home. Thanks, Alex! You’re killing it lately!
I made this tonight and it was so good!! The flavors are rich of course but the lemon cuts it really nicely. I feel like this is very impressive and restaurant quality while also being so fast and easy! The ingredients are also not too expensive so it’s actually pretty budget friendly while still feeling elevated. A winner for sure!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review, Jessica! Glad you enjoyed this — a favorite of mine
Absolutely in love with this dish! The definition of Cacio e Pepe and Pasta al Limone meet Carbonara is spot on & for some reason this dish makes me nostalgic (which I love). This meal was super quick to make & will definitely be in our pasta rotation!
So happy that you love it, Rosemary!