Lemon Caper Penne Pasta

Souplantation was a popular buffet chain in America and the lemon caper penne pasta was something I got every single time I went. This copycat recipe will taste just like you remember it, so if you are having those old Souplantation cravings this pasta dish might just hit the spot!

When I was in school my father would take my brother and I to Souplantation every Monday. And while Souplantation is no longer with us, this copycat recipe brings back those memories as one of my favorite dishes there was this lemon caper penne pasta. Now, I haven’t been to said restaurant in nearly a decade, but in honor of the good memories I’ve decided to remake the recipe for the blog.

This recipe is the same one posted to Souplantation At Home years ago, and I have to say it is really accurate. I’ve only changed a few things like using heavy cream instead of half and half, and using chicken stock instead of base. Now, I’m not going to say that this is authentic Italian food, because it’s more American than anything, but this is a good copycat recipe (just like my copycat of Carbone’s spicy rigatoni!!!). If you like tangy, fresh flavors then you will still enjoy this lemon caper penne (at home).

How To Make A Souplantation Copycat Lemon Caper Penne Pasta

This copycat recipe is a bit different than most of my pasta recipes, and it’s likely because it was meant to be mass produced for a buffet. However my recipe scales down to a two person serving so it’s a great weeknight dinner.

Ingredients (2 people)

• 300 grams Penne Pasta about 2 cups or 8 ounces
• 100 grams Spinach – You can use another green if you prefer. I actually like to make mine with arugula even though spinach is the authentic version
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Flour AP
• 250 ml Heavy Cream about 1 cup
• 60 ml Lemon Juice 1/4 cup, freshly squeezed
• 60 ml Chicken Stock 1/4 cup
• 1/2 tbsp Lemon Zest (I suggest a microplane but any fine grater will work in this recipe)
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 4 tbsp Capers more or less to taste

Instructions

The best thing about this dish is it can be done entirely in one pan. This makes clean up a breeze, and keeps the cooking streamlined. To start, set a pan of water boiling with some salt. Add in the penne pasta (10 oz or 300 grams). When the penne is cooked, reserve a quarter cup (60ml) of pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander.

The sauce only takes 5 or so minutes so the pasta will be fine resting on the counter. In the pan add 2 tbsp of flour and 2 tbsp of butter on medium low heat. Whisk together to create a roux and let cook for a minute, being careful not to let it burn.

Once the roux is combined add the heavy cream (250 ml ~1 cup), lemon juice (60 ml 1/4 cup), Chicken stock (60 ml 1/4 cup), lemon zest (1/2 tbsp), salt (1/4 tsp) and black pepper (1/4 tsp). Raise the heat to medium and whisk everything together. Here the original Souplantation copycat recipe says to cook for 10 minutes, but I feel that is far too long, and 2-3 minutes is more than enough for it to thicken combine.

Once the lemon sauce is thickened and combined, reintroduce add in the spinach (or rocket in my case) and turn off the heat. The residual heat will slightly wilt the greens and help them mix into the sauce better.

Add your penne and after mixing lightly, add the capers and mix again. The recipe calls for 2 tbsp of capers, but I’ve doubled it because 1) I like capers, and 2) think of that ingredient as ‘to taste’. I mean, it is called Lemon Caper Penne, not Lemon Roux Penne.

At Souplantation this is the end of the line for the lemon caper penne pasta recipe. At least, I can’t remember any garnishes. I decided to add a few lemon supremes on top because I’m all about that tart flavor. You can also serve it with some fresh chopped parsley, or a lemon wedge.