Creamy Peppercorn Pasta
A rich, peppery cream sauce built on a brandy and beef stock reduction, with real cracked pepper running through every bite. Restaurant-style pasta, done in 20 minutes.
Crush the peppercorns coarsely, not fine, this dish gets its texture and bite from actual pieces of cracked pepper rather than a fine powder, so a mortar and pestle beats a spice grinder here. Let the brandy fully reduce by half before the stock goes in too, that cooks off the raw alcohol taste and concentrates the flavour the rest of the sauce is built on.
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. This one’s not a great freezer candidate though, cream-based sauces like this tend to split once thawed.
Creamy Peppercorn Pasta
PASTA · DINNER · MEDIUM
Real cracked pepper, not a fine dust
Crushing the peppercorns coarsely with a mortar and pestle, rather than running them through a grinder, keeps real texture and bite in the sauce instead of a fine, dusty heat.
Reducing the brandy fully before the stock goes in cooks off the raw alcohol edge and concentrates the flavour underneath. It's the base the whole sauce is built on.
It tastes like something off a steakhouse menu, but it's a 20-minute pantry-and-fridge pasta with no special equipment beyond a pan and a mortar and pestle.
Creamy Peppercorn Pasta
Ingredients
- 28 g Unsalted Butter
- 1 Shallot Diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced or Grated
- 60 ml Brandy or Cognac
- 60 ml Beef Stock
- 200 ml Thickened Cream
- 7 g Black Peppercorns Crushed
- 10 g Green Peppercorns Drained & Crushed
- 250 g Pasta of Choice
- Salt & Pepper
- Flat Leaf Parsley To Serve
- Parmesan Cheese To Serve
- Basil Leaves To Serve
Method
- Slice and dice the shallot into small, even pieces. Grate the garlic on a microplane to create a paste. Roughly chop the parsley, if using.
- Add the black and green peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and crush until coarse. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook the pasta 1 minute less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Add the butter and shallot to a pan over medium-high heat and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the brandy or cognac, reduce by half, and deglaze the pan. Add the beef stock and reduce by half. Add the cream and crushed peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 6 minutes, or until thickened and coating the back of a spoon.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Adjust the consistency with the reserved pasta water and check the seasoning.
- Serve in bowls, topped with grated Parmesan and parsley. Dig in.
Why crush the peppercorns coarsely instead of using ground pepper?⌄
This dish gets its texture and bite from actual pieces of cracked pepper. Fine ground pepper turns the sauce dusty and sharp instead, without that same bite.
Can I make this without brandy or cognac?⌄
Yes, use stock in its place and add a small splash of red wine vinegar or an extra pinch of black pepper to recover some of the sharpness the brandy would otherwise bring.
What pasta shape works best here?⌄
Tagliatelle or fettuccine are classic with a peppercorn sauce, but any long or ridged pasta that holds onto sauce well will work fine here.
Can I add protein like chicken or steak to this dish?⌄
Definitely, seared steak strips are a natural fit given the peppercorn sauce, or grilled chicken works just as well if you'd rather keep it lighter.
