Best Cacio E Pepe With Arugula And Lemon Recipes

Cacio e Pepe with Pancetta and Arugula image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Time 40m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Kosher salt
1 pound creste di gallo pasta (cockscomb-shaped) or other short pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 pound pancetta, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus more (optional) for serving
1 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups packed baby arugula, roughly chopped

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions, about 8 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the pancetta is crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the pepper and toast it, stirring often, for about a minute, or until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and scrape up any bits that are sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
Add the pasta and sprinkle with the parmigiano-reggiano. Add another 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir to coat all of the pasta in the cheese. Add the pecorino and butter and stir to combine, creating a light, creamy cheese sauce. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Add additional reserved pasta water as needed to maintain the light sauce consistency. Serve with more grated parmigiano-reggiano, if desired.

Lemony Cacio e Pepe image

Provided by Valerie Bertinelli

Categories main-dish

Time 35m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for garnish
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water and drain.
Add 4 tablespoons of the butter to a large, straight-sided pan and heat over medium. Once melted, add the pepper and toast for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add in about 1 1/4 cups of the reserved pasta water and the lemon zest, bring to a light simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cooked spaghetti, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, toss the pasta and cheese together, incorporating about 1/2 additional cup more pasta water. Keep tossing the pasta until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is silky and coating the pasta, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chives and toss to combine. Serve immediately, topped with extra Pecorino Romano and black pepper.

Cacio e Pepe with Lemon image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 8

Coarse salt
8 ounces thick spaghetti or bucatini
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, softened
3 ounces Grana Padano cheese, grated (1 cup)
2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper (use a mortar and pestle or the coarsest setting on a grinder), plus more for garnish
3/4 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1 small lemon (preferably Meyer)
High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Steps:

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than called for in package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
Transfer pasta to a 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick). Add butter and 1/2 cup pasta water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. The heat helps the starch in the water meld with the fat from the butter, which prevents the Grana Padano from becoming stringy in the finished dish.
Reduce heat to low, and mix in Grana Padano and cracked pepper. Grana Padano is softer than Pecorino Romano; it will melt into the buttery water, creating a sauce as the pasta finishes cooking.
Toss pasta with tongs to thoroughly coat it with sauce. Keep everything at a gentle simmer just until cheese melts and sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, then stir in Pecorino Romano. (Always add Pecorino off direct heat; it clumps when cooked.) Zest lemon over the pasta. Any type of lemon will do, but a Meyer is particularly nice in this dish: It's sweeter in flavor and aroma, with back notes of orange and lime. At this time of year, you'll find Meyer lemons at specialty-food stores and some supermarkets.
If pasta looks dry, toss it with a bit more pasta water until it has a glossy coating. Divide between 2 warm bowls. Drizzle each with oil and lemon juice, and garnish with more cracked pepper. Serve immediately.