Creamy Lemon Cacio e Pepe

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5 from 12 votes

Pasta a Limone meets Cacio e Pepe - get into it!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Equipment

Ingredients

2 lemons
1 pound spaghetti
Kosher salt
¾ cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan
⅓ cup finely grated Pecorino
2 teaspoons freshly grated black pepper

Instructions

Using a vegetable peeler, remove two 2"-long strips of lemon zest. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining zest into a large pot (like a Dutch oven). Cut the lemons in half and juice (you need about 2-3 tablespoons) into a small bowl and set aside.
Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
Meanwhile, add cream to large skillet with lemon zest and cook over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in butter while stirring until the sauce is creamy and emulsified. Turn off heat if you're not ready for the next step.
Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid and add the pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to medium heat. Drain the pasta and transfer to the skillet with the sauce sauce. Cook, tossing often and adding grated cheese little by little, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy. Stir in the reserved lemon juice and season with salt as needed and the freshly cracked black pepper.
Divide pasta among bowls and top with reserved lemon zest strips and extra pepper and grated parmesan if desired.

Notes

One thing to note: if you’re making this with store-bought pre-shredded cheese, there’s a chance it wont incorporate as nicely than if you shred/grate it yourself. So go ahead and take the extra 2 minutes to grate yourself. I promise it’s worth it!

Nutrition