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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.
Super easy recipe and super delicious! I made fresh pasta and added some asparagus and cherry tomatoes. I was worried that the pepper would be too much for an 18 month old, but he chowed down. Tasty enough to serve for dinner guests. Thanks!
Thank you so much Ariana! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Teighan, I do wanna try this recipe, but pecorino cheese is not available in India. What else can I use here?
Hi Sheenam! Hmm, what cheese is available? You need a dry cheese, that melts when heated. Something that you can great and melts into a sauce. Can you think of something that might work? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Fabulous recipe. I added toasted pine nuts. Will definitely make it again!
Thank you Ann! So glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
Just saying that this is amazing. So simple and yet delicious in a sophisticated way. My favorite combination ?. FYI I made it with zucchini noodles so basically just followed the steps stirring in the zucchini as if they were the precooked noodles. Doesn’t seem to miss the pasta water… thanks – will be keeping this in rotation!
So happy to hear that you loved this recipe Taralyn! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Perfect weeknight dinner when you are craving pasta!
Thank you Lori! xTieghan
So simple and SO good!! Loved it.
Thank you!
This dish is so tasty & comforting! Just some notes/changes that I made: served with roasted butternut squash because I didn’t have arugula; used parmesan and gruyere cheese. I know this is a weird combo . . . . but it tasted sooo good!! I did not add basil or arugula but did include some freshly squeezed lemon juice (thanks to my girlfriend’s tree). Sooo comforting! so good. So good that I just made it again for lunch. This time I added the arugula (went to store this morning). Still amazing!! Thank you!!
Hi Teresa! I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it!
Can you tell me where you purchased these plates?
What’s so beautiful about Italian cooking is it’s simplicity. No reason to not think this dish is worthy of being on your site. Cacio en Pepe is utterly delicious. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Thank you so much Mark!
I made this tonight and the cheese just kind of globbed up. I added more pasta water, but it never really fixed it. Do you know what I might’ve done wrong? The flavors were delicious; I just didn’t really get a sauce :/
Hey Betsy! At what point did you add the cheese and what kind of cheese are you using? It is important to use a higher quality cheese that will melt into the sauce. Also, are your bringing the sauce to simmer before adding the pasta? This is an important step that helps bind the sauce with the butter.
Love the recipe and texture. Will definitely try to make this recipe for my mother.
I hope she loves this! Thank you!
I love lemons and personally think they should be on everything along with avocados;)
Thanks for this simple and elegant recipe!
Thank you Susana! I am so glad you liked this!
I made this the other night and it was fantastic! I loved the addition of the peppery arugula. My finicky husband, my forever-hungry 15-year-old, and my two-year-old loved it. In fact, my toddler had 2 (toddler-sized) helpings.
That is so amazing! I am so glad your entire family loved this recipe Marie! Thank you!
Hey Tieghan,
This recipe is absolutely amazing! Thank you!! My boyfriend and I made it tonight- we subbed spinach for the arugula (the store was out) and we added tomatoes. We didn’t have fresh basil so we mixed basil into the pasta dough! I studied in Rome, Italy during college, and cacio e pepe was a popular dish there.
I just recently came across your website and I am hooked. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Tara
Thank you so much Tara! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
This is combining all of my favorite things! I can’t wait to try this one. And I am a fellow lemon lover so bring on the lemons! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you Lauren!!