Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Some say love conquers all, but I say cacio e pepe does. It’s true, John and I fell for each other and got married in Lake Como, Italy, but it’s also where I became a slave to this pasta dish, which is super peppery and cheesy and is basically the boss of me whenever I make it. At first I was a little worried: Since I first tasted it when I was all gooey-romancey in Italia, would it weather the trip home? DID I HAVE PASTA GOGGLES ON? Thankfully, I adore it as much now as I did then — even more, actually.

Which is a good thing to be able to say about pasta recipes as well as husbands.

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt

12 ounces dried spaghetti

1/4 pound (about 3/4 cup) pancetta or bacon, finely diced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons (about 4 big cloves) minced garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

3 cups baby arugula

 

DIRECTIONS

ü      In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (it comes in handy), then drain the pasta.

ü      Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisped, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the olive oil, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

ü      Add the lemon juice to the skillet, then toss in the drained pasta and toss to coat. Add the Parm and toss, adding the pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, just to help the cheese coat the pasta. Add the arugula and toss until it wilts, about 1 minute. Season to taste with additional salt, lots of black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with more Parm.