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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!
Are you supposed to melt the butter before adding the pasta, water and cheese? I made it but the cheese clumped together – was still delicious.
Hey Mel,
Thanks so much for making the recipe!! Yes, you will want to melt the butter first. Did you use freshly grated cheese? That typically prevents the cheese from clumping. Let me know if this helps! xTieghan
Used grated cheese at room temp and mine still clumped together ?
Still tasted delicious though and the brown butter drizzle was such an awesome addition!!
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but the cheese all congealed into one big ball when I put it in and tried to mix it. The more I tried to melt it and pull it apart, the tougher and more rubbery it got! What did I do wrong?
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear this!! Did you freshly grate your cheese? Was it at room temp? Let me know!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, thanks for responding! I think I did, like, five things wrong…thick shredded (not grated) cheese straight from the fridge dumped in all at once. The flavor was delicious but we had to sort of cut up the cheese ball and put it together bite by bite! Will definitely try this again and be a little more deliberate with the cheese. Thank you!
This was delicious and sooo easy! FWIW, it did take quite a bit longer than 5 minutes for my zucchini to cook. I started it when I put the pasta water on to boil then deemed the zucchini sufficiently golden just before adding the pasta was finished cooking. It was a hit with the entire family, and is easy enough for my kids to practice making on their own this summer. Fingers crossed….
Hey Kerry,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have a great weekend:) xx
This was SO good. Flavors were amazing and the brown butter just made it! I added some chicken for protein
Hey Abra,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have a great weekend:) xx
This was so tasty and great as leftovers too! I even got my husband to eat zucchini with this recipe! YUM!
Hey Sara,
LOL awesome!! So glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, thanks for trying it out! Have a great Friday! xTieghan
I loved this recipe. It was so delicious and easy to make. I added some sliced mushrooms in with the zucchini, but otherwise made the recipe as written. For kids, I would scale back the black pepper by half, it was a little spicy for them with the 2 teaspoons, but for me it was perfect.
Hey Natalia,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit!☀️
I was thinking of maybe adding a splash of lemon to the recipe for a bit more of a “summer” taste. Do you have nay recommendations for this?
Hey Caleigh,
Sure, you could do a lemon squeeze at the end before serving:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xx
Simple and easy! Just ate this for dinner and even my 2 year old ate a big serving. Thank you!
Hey Alyssa,
Perfect!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and appreciate you giving it a try! xxTieghan
Used grated cheese at room temp and mine still clumped together 🙁
Still tasted delicious though and the brown butter drizzle was such an awesome addition!!
So sorry to hear this!! Next time, try stirring constantly while the cheese melts!
Made this the other night and the flavor is INCREDIBLE! So simple, yet so yummy. Paired well with a basic chicken. We’ll definitely have this again! Thanks for sharing the recipe
Hi Brittany,
Happy Wednesday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try and love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your feedback:) xT
Deliciously simple. I added fresh cherry tomatoes at the end with the basil and it was great.
Hey Alison,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it:) xx
We had fresh asparagus from our farm share that we had to use up and we needed a different way of eating it since we’ve been eating it for weeks! Lol This dish fit the bill and we replaced the zucchini with asparagus. Very tasty!
Hi Erin,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for sharing your review and making the recipe!! xTieghan
Delish! We skipped the brown butter part bc it seemed rich enough; it was amazing! Added red pepper flakes on top.
Hey Colleen,
Happy Monday!! Thanks for your feedback and making this recipe, love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
I just made this and it was simple yet amazing!! Can’t wait to try more of your recipies!
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for your kind message! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
I made this for my boyfriend and I for dinner tonight. It was so good! I just wish I added more zucchini. I’m gluten free so substituted my portion of the pasta for gluten free noodles and it was delicious. The brown butter was delicious on top.
Will definitely be making again over the summer!
Hey Stephanie,
Awesome!! So glad this recipe worked well for you and thanks for sharing your gluten free noddle substitute! Have a great week:) xx
Would I be able to add spinach to the pasta? If so, when should I add it? Thanks!
Hey Zoe,
Sure, I would add the spinach at the end of step 3. Please let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx