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When I want cozy-but-bright pasta, I go Cacio e Pepe—with a squeeze of lemon and a handful of peppery arugula. Classic comfort that still tastes fresh. Cheese and pepper hug every strand. It’s not often that I make such simple recipes like this pasta, but I do believe that everyone needs a recipe like this Cacio e Pepe in their back pocket. It’s made from pantry staple ingredients, takes maybe fifteen to twenty minutes to make, and is really delicious.
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Ingredient Notes
- Cheese: Pecorino Romano (sharp and salty) or Parmesan (mellow and traditional). Finely grate so the cheese melts into each strand of pasta.
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked, medium coarse
- Lemon: Will zest and squeeze for delicious lemony flavor
- Arugula: Will toss this in at the end
- Pasta and Pasta Water: Long strands like spaghetti/bucatini (Will save the starchy water for the sauce!)
The story behind the recipe
I am pretty excited to share this very easy pasta recipe with you guys today! I’ve hesitated making Cacio e Pepe for so long for the sole reason that it’s truly so simple and so easy that I didn’t feel I needed to tell you guys about it.
But then something happened. I made this recipe for my friends over at The Chriselle Factor and I immediately fell in love with it. Of course, me being me, I added an extra ingredient or two, to add in that extra touch of flavor and give the recipe my own personal flare. But all in all, it’s very similar to the classic pasta eaten all around Italy. And of course, it’s delicious, easy, and quick.
A little background. Cacio e Pepe literally means cheese and pepper. It’s like mac and cheese, but simpler and quite possibly better. When looking at the recipe you might think it seems a bit basic, that’s because it is basic. BUT with good pasta, a little butter, fresh black pepper, and really good cheese, it’s also basic(ally) perfect.
You see what I did there? Basic…ally?
Yeah, in my head it works…just go with it.
The key to this recipe is the pasta cooking water. You simply cannot make this without that pasta water, as it’s the water that creates that creamy and luscious sauce. This also means there is zero cream in this pasta recipe, which I dunno, kind of makes it health…ish, right? There are greens too. And lemon! So yes, yes, healthy…ish. Again, just go with it.
The Details
- Boil a large pot of salted water, add the pasta and cook.
2. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain. Heat the butter in a skillet with pepper, add in the pasta water and the pasta.
3. Sprinkle all that cheese in, and toss, toss, toss.
4. Remove from heat, add a couple handfuls of arugula and basil, and divide the pasta between plates.
5. Finish with lemon, plus a dusting more of parmesan cheese.
The perfect recipe for those nights when you have nothing in your fridge, or a night when all you feel like doing is eating pasta and binge watching Netflix, or even a night when a surprise guest shows up and you need to come up with a tasty meal to satisfy everyone…fast.
And again, the addition of those leafy baby arugula greens and lemon zest totally make this a very “well-balanced” meal. Don’t you guys just love my way of rationalizing things? Enter that wink, wink emoji here.
Yes, use only zest for lemon or skip entirely. The sauce will still be peppery and silky.
I love both, and a 50/50 mix can be a great middle ground. Pecorino is classic and saltier and the parmesan is nuttier and softer.
Grate the cheese ultra-fine and take off the heat to finish the sauce. Add splashes of hot water while tossing the pasta until glossy.
It’s best right away. If reheating, loosen gently with hot water over low heat and add a little fresh cheese and lemon zest to revive the sauce.
Watch the How To Video Here:
Cacio e Pepe with Arugula and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh grated pecorino cheese
- couple handfuls baby arugula
- fresh basil and lemon zest, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain. 2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and cook 30 second to 1 minute, until toasted.3. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the pasta and remaining butter. Reduce the heat to low and add the parmesan and pecorino, tossing until melted. Remove from the heat, add the arugula, toss until the greens are wilted and the sauce coats the pasta, adding in more pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Transfer to a bowl and serve topped with fresh basil and lemon zest. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
At 5:30 I was laying down with a heating pad on my back. Tired and NOT in the mood to cook dinner. I looked at the daily blog post and this recipe appeared. I swear it was a gift!
Had all the ingredients (extra protein spaghetti instead of bucatini) but it was wonderful.
My 18 year old daughter wasn’t loving the arugula but I only added some to the pot and loaded mine up
My husband liked it too
The lemon zest made it perfect!!!
That is so amazing Lynn! I am so glad you liked this recipe and your family did as well! I hope your back is doing okay too! Thank you!
hey girl- this looks amazing! yummy for my tummy!
Thanks Shawnna!
MY 20-SOMETHING, VERY SAVVY GRANDDAUGHTER IN SF, TURNED ME ON TO YOU! WOW, I CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT IDEA. SENT AWAY FOR YOUR BOOK IMMEDIATELY.
That is amazing! Thank you Karen!
I LOVE lemons in cooking! They add such a nice freshness, and especially with it being lemon season, I would expect to see a lot of lemons! I got a comment on a recipe sometime that said “I would never make that.” I was just like ok…..
Anyways, I love the addition of arugula in this. What a delicious sounding recipe (even though it uses lemons).
Thank you Danielle! It is so nice to hear that you like this recipe!
I think cacio e pepe translates to “cheese and pepper,” but otherwise, beautiful recipe. Very similar to Chrissy Teigen’s lemon arugula cacio e pepe recipe from her first cookbook! A little different and can’t wait to try it your way.
Thank you Hillary!
Great recipe! I love your recipes, and look foardward to trying this one. Citrus is great, too. Always adds a nice touch.
Thank you Joyce!
I use lemons in a lot of my recipes. It’s a pretty common ingredient with numerous culinary applications. What a bizarrre and embarrassing thing to moan about.
Thank you!
Yum! I LOVE lemon stuff! Your lemon orzo & chicken recipe is one of my all time favorites. I just made the pesto, asparagus & ricotta pasta this week as well – it is awesome!! Nice and fresh. One can never ever ever have too many pasta recipes!! :o)
Thank you Melissa!
Lemons rule!!!
Agreed! Thanks Sophia!
You go ahead and add lemons to all your recipes if that’s what you like – I haven’t made one of your recipes yet that I haven’t loved! <3
Awh thank you Kelly!
Pishhh. Lemon is EVERYTHING. I actually buy TWO large bags of Meyer lemons a week because I burn through them that fast! I put lemon in everything: my water, my tea, I spritz it on basically all my food (salads, chicken, shrimp). And IMO simple pasta is the best pasta. <3
Thank you so much Amanda!
I love all your recipes. After experimenting with them, I am amazed at the power of a lemon or lime, what the addition of a pablano pepper does and the power of paprika and chili powder, not to mention the wonders of the pasta water. Thanks for everything you teach us everyday!!!
Thank you so much Jennifer!
Lemon lover for life.
Love that!
Love your attitude. Keep on rocking !
Thank you!
Hey guess what – your food is DELICIOUS and you don’t need to defend yourself or your recipes. Shake it off girl. AND I LOVE LEMONS. That lemon orzo kale skillet meal is on repeat here. It’s ridiculous. Go team lemon!
Thank you so much Sarah!