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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.
I live in California.. and i use lemons almost daily in my recipes. I make a french salad dressing with them and dijon regularly! Never apologize for using them ! My 104 year old grandmother had a very old Meyer lemon tree everyone loved. She took them as gifts to anyone she admired.
Thanks so much Tina! I hope you love this recipe!! xTieghan
OMG! So fast, so easy, so DELICIOUS! Do yourself a favor and make this! I had a spinach/arugula mix that i used and squeezed the juice of half a lemon along with the zest and greens.
Hey Yvette,
Awesome! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
My 18 year old loves this. He’s making it for his girlfriend tonight as a surprise. ❤️
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. Have the best weekend:) xT
Made this tonight, instead of arugula I used French style green beans, also threw in shredded rotisserie chicken. So good. Next time I plan to increase the pepper to 2 tsp.
Hey Suzanne,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Picked up black pepper linguine at the farmers market this morning and this was the perfect dish to make with it!! So simple and the arugula and lemon zest added a lighter/summery touch to it. Yummy.
Hey Tyler,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Never enough lemon. 🙂
Thanks Amy!
It came out really yummy! I follow the recipe exactly except for cutting some ingredients in half as I was only making it for myself and one other. I also used baby spinach instead of arugula since that’s what I had on hand. The sauce wasn’t as thick as I liked it as I also made a little cheese sauce gravy on a separate skillet by heating a teaspoon of oil and a little bit of flour together and then adding water and then shredded cheese to put over the pasta to make it thick and this recipe was very yummy!! Thanks for teaching me this as I’m 23 years old and trying to learn how to cook some things for myself. Hmm, I also didn’t use lemons as I didn’t have any on hand (I had a lime but.. anyways, let’s move on) and yeah, I definitely agree and think the lemon brings tons of extra flavor to the table. 🙂 Much love and appreciation from Texas!! <3
Hey Ryna,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Hi!
I was wondering if you recommend a good wine pairing with this recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Hey Shayna,
I would serve with a Cabernet Sauvignon. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So good
Thank you Tega! xTieghan
Why foul up such a great dish with Arugula and Lemon?
Some people love it! To each their own! xTieghan
Hey Maike,
I wonder what pepe nero means? 😉
Hey Doug,
So sorry I am not sure what you are asking. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
great recipe.
One suggestion though, reduce the volume of the water you cook the pasta in.
Remember, the starch in the water is what makes the cream sauce. the more dilute the pasta water is, the less starch available to make the cream sauce.
give it a try!
Thank you so much Doug! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Which chees can I use as I cannot find pecorino in my small town grocer. I assume parmesan…..
Hi Kim,
Yes parmesan would be great. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I was able to find and use micro arugula in this recipe. It was great to have the peppery bite of the arugula without the big chew of the mature leaf. It also presented beautifully.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, David! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Very little protein and vegetables (fiber). You will be hungry if not starving in an hour or less.
Hi! That could be the case depending on your metabolism and how fast you digest. Anyway, I hope you love this or other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Currently making this with a side of chicken that solves for your protein “problem”. Hope this helps! X
This is excellent! The pairing of the basil with the lemon zest was delicious!
Thank you so much Lynn! xTieghan
Made this and loved it (so did my kids!). Any ideas for how to keep the cheese from clumping up after to you add it?
Hey Deana,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) Try grating your own cheese! xTieghan
This did not turn out well at all. The cheese clumps up and separates from the pasta. Had to retry twice. Kinda bummed, first half baked harvest recipe i haven’t loved !!
Hi Maya! I am really sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can help you with? xTieghan