Creamy Lemon Cacio e Pepe with Pancetta
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A quick lemony cacio e pepe recipe that satisfies on every level, with creamy, cheesy black pepper sauce, Italian pancetta and sweet peas.
Is this creamy, dreamy cacio e pepe recipe the real deal?
Well, let’s talk.
Admittedly my recipe is not authentic, but rather a mash-up combining elements from one of my all-time favorite quick pantry pasta recipes, Lemon Linguine.
It’s based on a dish in Nigella Lawson’s fabulous book How to Eat (her first cookbook and the one I love the best) with pasta carbonara’s egg yolk and crisp bits of pancetta.
With this sauce you get the tangy taste and fragrance of lemon juice and lemon zest, the mouth-coating lusciousness of cream.
Along with the earthy heat of black pepper, you taste caramelized bits of porky pancetta and sweet peas.
How does that not all add up to the best of all pasta worlds?!
Let me just tell you, it does. I love this creative take on cacio e pepe.
It’s an incredibly simple dish you can make on the fly in 15 minutes.
Creamy cacio e pepe
By adding egg yolk and mascarpone cheese, the cheesy peppery pasta dish known as cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) takes on an extra level of delish.
It may be easy to prepare, but like all simple things, the beauty is in the details.
How to make lemon cacio e pepe sauce:
- Start with excellent quality dried pasta. If you happen to splurge on some pricey artisan pasta — great! You’re gonna take this recipe to the next level. Delverde dried pasta is a good and affordable option. Any pasta you can find that’s extruded through bronze dies will be a winner.
- Use another long sturdy noodle like bucatini, thick spaghetti or linguine instead of tagliatelle
- Cacio e pepe is a simple dish based on just a few essential ingredients — the pasta, cheese and black pepper. So do yourself a favor and seek out whole Tellicherry peppercorns. They really taste and smell better than regular peppercorns. If you don’t believe me, try putting them side by side and taking a whiff.
- And as for the cheese, definitely buy chunks of Italian pecorino and Parmesan and grate them yourself. I like a blend of cheeses, but using just one will still taste great.
I associate creamy lemon pasta with spring and green things, so I threw in some frozen sweet peas (happily available all year long).
Recipe variations
This is an adaptable recipe. Instead of peas, toss in a handful of sliced asparagus stalks or even fava beans when they’re available.
A big handful of tender baby greens like spinach or arugula, tossed with the hot drained pasta is another tasty addition.
More pantry pastas you’ll love:
Creamy Lemon Cacio e Pepe with Peas and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) pancetta or slab bacon, diced
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (112.5 g) mascarpone cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, like Maldon or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons each freshly grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese, or 1/4 cup of one type, plus additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black peppercorns
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces (225 g) dried fettuccine or tagliatelle pasta
- 1 cup (150 g) shelled fresh or frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Put the pancetta or bacon in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.
- Whisk together the egg yolk, mascarpone and flaky salt in a bowl. Zest the lemon into the bowl, then halve the lemon and squeeze the juice of one half into the bowl. Stir in the cheese and black pepper.
- While the pancetta is cooking, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan or stock pot and season with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drop the peas into the pot 2 minutes before draining. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- Put the hot drained pasta back into the pot and toss with the butter until it melts. Whisk 1/4 cup of the cooking water into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then pour over the pasta and toss together with tongs. Drizzle in more water if the sauce seems too thick (keep in mind it will thicken as it sits).
- Add the pancetta to the pasta and toss gently to disperse. Serve the pasta with additional cheese.
Karen's Notes and Tips
- I use a mixture of grated cheeses in this recipe - sheep's milk Romano and Parmesan. If you don't have both kinds on hand, use just one of them instead.
- Tellicherry peppercorns have the best flavor, with rich, warm heat and beautiful aroma. Grind them in a spice grinder just before making the pasta.
- The recipe will satisfy 2 to 4 people (it's pretty rich). If you want to make sauce for a pound of pasta, double up on the ingredients, but use discretion with the black pepper so it doesn't overwhelm the dish — try 1 1/2 tablespoons at first and taste.
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
This was delicious and easy. I didn’t have mascarpone on hand, so I subbed with 3/4 package of goat cheese and it came out great. My 8-year-old loved it too.
It.s looking GREAT! SAUCE IS DELISH! PANCETTA IS DELISH,! WE.RE USING “RAO LINGUINE” for the Recipe🌹💗🎵
Sounds perfect!!
Sounds Delish! My daughter & San Francisco & San Diego Home Chefs, will be preparing your Recipe, Serving in my Mom s Beautiful Rose serving Bowl with a Salad in her Rose LG Plate! Gonna be Great 🙂👍💜🌺🙏🌈