Lemon Cacio And Pepe With Arugula Recipes

CACIO E PEPE WITH LEMON

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.

LEMONY CACIO E PEPE

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.