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The simplest Zucchini Cacio e Pepe with Brown Butter. Classic Cacio e Pepe made easy with the addition of sautéed garlic zucchini and rich brown butter. The secret to Cacio e Pepe is freshly cracked black pepper, high-quality cheese, and some good arm work to toss your pasta. Nothing fancy, but each bowl of pasta is wonderfully delicious.
Carrying on with our simple summer cooking, we’ve got a perfect bowl of Cacio e Pepe. Normally, I wouldn’t get overly excited about a recipe such as Cacio e Pepe. It’s so, so delicious, but a very simple recipe. I usually share dishes with a few more ingredients. But while I was in LA I had a plate of Cacio e Pepe that reminded me just how good the simple Italian pasta can be.
It was a much cheesier, peppery Cacio e Pepe, and honestly, it was by far the best I’ve had. That plate got me excited to try my own variation at home. It’s perfect for busy summer days.
First, this is just my take on Cacio e Pepe. It is by no means the classic recipe, just a version I’ve been making.
I wanted to add a summery element. So I added zucchini, garlic, and fresh basil. Just 3 simple additions, but they add a pop of summer freshness that we love.
And then the browned butter. It’s not an ingredient add, it’s just cooked a little differently than what’s traditionally done. And it makes all the difference.
Here are the details
Cacio e Pepe literally means cheese and pepper. It’s like mac and cheese, but simpler. And in my book, a little bit of an upgrade, or maybe I should say, more of an adult version. When looking at the recipe you might think it seems basic, that’s because it is basic. But with quality ingredients – pasta, butter, fresh black pepper, and a really good cheese, it’s perfect.
Start with the pasta. I used rigatoni, but any cut works well. Bucatini is more traditional, though it’s often made with other cuts of pasta today.
Boil-off the pasta and save plenty of the pasta cooking water. The water is used to make the sauce.
While the pasta boils, cook the zucchini with garlic until it gets a little golden. Pull it out of the pan and start making the sauce. I like to add basil to the zucchini too, it’s delicious!
Back in that same skillet, you need to toast the black pepper. Then add half of the butter, the cooked pasta, both the parmesan and pecorino, and the pasta cooking water. Then toss to melt. This is a cheesier Cacio e Pepe, so really give it a good tossing to melt the cheese and form a nice sauce.
Once the cheese has melted, mix in the zucchini, plus fresh basil.
Finally, brown the last bit of butter in a small skillet. This might seem like an unnecessary extra step but it takes just a few minutes and adds a lot. Add a drizzle of brown butter over the pasta with a grating of fresh cheese. It’s delightful and makes each bowl of summery pasta taste rich and indulgent.
Serve this with a simple arugula, spinach, or summer fruit salad. The perfect meal, 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 Zucchini Cacio e Pepe with Brown Butter, 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!
Zucchini Cacio e Pepe with Brown Butter
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 414 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
- kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
- fresh basil
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 1 1/4 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain.2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, garlic, and season with salt. Cook until the zucchini is golden, 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a plate. 3. Working in the same skillet, add the pepper and cook 30 seconds, until toasted. Add 4 tablespoons butter, then the pasta, 1 cup pasta cooking water, the parmesan, and pecorino. Toss vigorously to melt the cheese. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water, the zucchini, and season with salt. Toss well. 4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, cook until the butter browns, 3-4 minutes. 5. Plate the pasta and spoon the butter over each serving. Top with fresh basil. Eat!
Delicious the fist night, made with spaghetti and added garlic chicken.
For the leftovers I stewed some tomatoes with white wine and added the leftover past right into the pot to reheat, it was almost better than the first night! My husband has asked to add this to the weekly rotation!
Hi Tracie,
Wonderful!! I am so glad that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xx
I LOVE this dish but I cannot get the cheese creamy, it always gets clumpy and stringy. Any recommendations?
Hi! Hmm I would recommend leaving it out and letting it come to room temp so it melts better! xT
This was great! I’d maybe add a note for rookies like me that you might have to cook the zucchini in smaller batches if you want it to brown nicely. Mine didn’t because I overcrowded the pan 🤦♀️😅
Thank you for letting me know Amanda! xT
Can this be made ahead? If so, any recommendations on how to reheat?
Hi Emily,
This is best served immediately after making:) Otherwise, I would keep the pasta out of the sauce until you are ready to serve. I hope this helps! xx
I made this dish last week and it was delicious! My whole family approved! I had some leftover and had it for breakfast the next day and it was pretty good. I can’t wait to make it again. I went out and bought all the ingredients. So yummy.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great week! xT
Made this tonight and LOVED it! Cacio e Pepe is one of my favs, this adds a light and summery spin to it ! Loved the fresh basil on top! Def will be making again!
Hi Jaime,
Happy Monday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great week! xT
Made this tonight exactly as written. It turned out perfect, was very easy and my family loved it. I used bucatini pasta and it was so good. Will definitely make it again. The brown butter added a delicious decadence!
Hi Andrea,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you!🍒🥭
Loved this dish! Easy to make on a weeknight, but full of flavor!
Hey Cori,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe and appreciate your notes and feedback! xT
The flavors of this dish are delicious but my freshly grated Parmesan did not melt properly and I ended up with globs of chewy cheese! Not sure how to fix this going forward
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear about your cheese! Did you grate it yourself? That’s the best way to get it to melt:) xx
Same thing happened to me! And I grated it myself 🙁
Delicious, and extremely easy to make! Can’t wait to make it again!
Love to hear this Meagan! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Have a wonderful weekend!🌈🌤️ xT
So So delicious!!!
Love to hear this Dana!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Have a wonderful weekend!🌈🌤️ xT
OMG I made this tonight. Absolutely incredible and so much easier than I thought it would be. Definitely making this again!!
Love to hear this Jaime!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Have a wonderful weekend!🌈🌤️ xT
Made this tonight as a side and it did not disappoint. So incredibly yummy, honestly it was the star of the show! Adding to my tried and true favorites list.
Thanks so much Christi! I’m so glad to hear that this dish was enjoyed and I appreciate you making it! xx
Delicious! I accidentally left off half a stick of butter. It was divine!
Hi Emily,
Happy Friday!!🍪🍦 Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Delicious! Would most definitely make again but would cut the butter a bit (trying to be more heart healthy). Thanks!
Hey Patty,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xx