Lemon Basil Cacio e Pepe with Bacon.

Lemon Basil Cacio e Pepe with Bacon – a simple, creamy lemon pasta tossed with crispy bacon, rich brown butter, peppery arugula, and fresh basil. A few freshly cracked black pepper grounds and high-quality cheese—come together to create the silkiest sauce. Give it a good toss, and you’ve got a bright, flavorful pasta that’s anything but ordinary.

I know I say this often, but I’m so excited to share this pasta. I worked hard to get the lemony sauce just right. It’s always the simplest recipes that prove to be the most challenging to perfect—but that’s also what makes them so rewarding.

This recipe is inspired by three of my favorites: carbonara (bacon, eggs, parmesan), cacio e pepe (butter, black pepper, parmesan), and pasta al limone (lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan). In the end, it’s a beautiful blend of all three.

Simple, flavorful, and easy to make—this pasta is sure to become a favorite!

Here are the details

Ingredients

• thick-cut bacon
• long or short pasta – though I prefer a longer cut
• salted butter
• lemon zest
• garlic
• fresh cracked black pepper
• lemon juice
• parmesan cheese
• pecorino cheese
• baby arugula
• fresh basil

Tools

For this pasta, you will need a large skillet, a large pot (for cooking the pasta), and the everyday cooking basics.

Steps

Step 1: cook the bacon and get it crispy

Start with the bacon. Cook it in a big skillet until it is crispy. Then set the bacon aside and discard the grease in the skillet.

Step 2: boil off the pasta

While the bacon is cooking, I like to boil the pasta. I use Pappardelle Pasta, but you can really use any cut of pasta you like.

Cook the pasta, then remove a couple cups of the pasta cooking water. Reserve the water for creating the sauce. There is no milk or cream in this recipe.

Step 3: make the sauce

Add some butter to the skillet you cooked the bacon in. Then add the garlic, lemon zest, and pepper. Get the pepper toasted.

Add the remaining butter and lemon juice. Whisk this all together until you have a smooth sauce. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Add the cheese, stir again until smooth. Now add the pasta toss until the sauce coats the pasta.

Step 4: finish the dish

Add both cheeses, and the arugula, plus plenty of fresh basil. Toss it all together until the pasta is well sauced and the arugula is wilted.

Now plate the pasta and top with bacon, plus additional cheese, and fresh basil.

It’s delightful!

Serve this with a simple arugula salad. The perfect pasta dinner, and we love how quickly this comes together too!

Looking for other simple pasta dinners? Here are a few of my go-to’s. 

One Pot Lemon Butter Ricotta and Zucchini Pasta

Pesto Cheese Zucchini Ravioli with Burst Tomatoes

Spicy Zucchini Ricotta Lasagna with Oregano Breadcrumbs

Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka

Roasted Tomato Basil and Feta Orzo

Lastly, if you make this Lemon Basil Cacio Pepe with Bacon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Lemon Basil Cacio e Pepe with Bacon

3.49 from 29 votes

6

by Tieghan Gerard

calories 709kcal

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Prep15 minutes mins

Cook15 minutes mins

Total30 minutes mins

Inspired by carbonara, cacio e pepe, and pasta al limone!

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6-8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• ▢ 1 pound long or short-cut pasta, (I use long)
• ▢ 6 tablespoons salted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons raw pine nuts , (optional)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
• ▢ 2 cups fresh arugula
• ▢ 1 cup fresh basil

Instructions 

• 1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet set over medium heat until crispy, 5-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet. Set aside. Discard any excess bacon grease.

  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Just before draining, reserve 1 1/4 cups of pasta cooking water. Drain.

  3. Working in the same skillet used to cook the bacon, add 2 tablespoons of butter, the pine nuts, if using, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes, until toasted. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, and lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup pasta cooking water, the parmesan, and pecorino. Toss vigorously to melt the cheese. Add the pasta, the remaining 1/4 cup of water, the arugula, and basil. Then season with salt. Toss well.

  4. Plate the pasta. Then add the bacon and top with fresh parmesan, cracked pepper, and basil. Eat!

Nutrition

Calories: 709kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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