Lemon Cacio e Pepe
This was the other dish that we made the first time that we made dinner together. That night Manny also invited some friends over and it was the first time that I got to see into his life. This meal has become a favorite memory of mine, and it is also pretty easy to make!
Also another easy thing to make! You also do not need a lot of kitchen space either. I only say that because we managed to make this in his small downtown Riverside apartment, and that kitchen was TINY, lol.
Ingredients
- 2½ tsp. black pepper, freshly grated (plus more, to taste)
- 6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmeggiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 4 cups fresh baby arugula
- 16 oz dried spaghetti
- 5 oz pancetta, finely diced
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp. minced garlic, about 5–6 large cloves
- 1 tsp. heaping red pepper flakes
Steps
- Dice the pancetta. Mince the garlic. Grate the pepper. Squeeze the lemon. Grate the Parmeggiano-Reggiano.
- In a large pot of generously salted water, cook the spaghetti, stopping when it is al dente, about a minute less than the minimum time recommended on the package. If you are draining the pasta, be sure to save about 1½ cups of the pasta water. If you pull it out with tongs like I do, have a ladle ready because you will need some of the hot pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet to medium and cook the pancetta until it is brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. To the crisp pancetta, add olive oil, followed by the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, cooking about 1 minute. It should be fragrant at this point.
- Add the lemon juice, then add the cooked pasta, tossing to coat. Add the Parmeggiano-Reggiano and toss. Slowly add some reserved pasta water; this will cause the cheese to become creamy and stick to the pasta. Add arugula, toss until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper, or cheese as desired. Serve with grated Parmeggiano-Reggiano.