My favorite weekday pasta is lemon Cacio e Pepe spaghetti. It is one of those dishes you whip up when you barely have anything in your pantry. Two items I always keep on stock is a large piece of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a bowl of lemons. You never know when you need to whip up a quick pasta because you are too tired to cook. Having some simple pantry items is perfect for those days when all you want to do is order takeout. I sometimes get into these moods during the weekdays after a long day of work. When I first started working in Chicago, I ordered takeout at least once a week. I’ve gotten better about cooking at home since moving to Ohio, but there are still some days when all I want to do is pick up some takeout for dinner. Today was one of those days I craved takeout after I got home from work. Instead, I decided to make a basic, simple, and quick pasta dish. Lemon Cacio e Pepe spaghetti is one of those pasta dishes you can cook and serve in under 30 minutes. For my version, I added some lemon zest to the dish to brighten it up. The lemon zest was perfect and added the right about of lemon flavor to the dish. I was able to have dinner ready in under 30 minutes and catch up on my favorite fall shows on NBC.
Lemon Cacio e Pepe
· ½ package of spaghetti
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· 4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· Zest of one lemon
Directions:
1) Heat a large pot filled with water on medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, add a teaspoon of salt to the water. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
2) Once the spaghetti is done cooking, drain the pasta and reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water. Toss the spaghetti with cheese, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Takeaways: You can dress up this pasta with fresh tomatoes, arugula, spinach, or whatever vegetables you have on hand. I’ve tried this pasta with many different vegetables and it is delicious every time.