Recipe Background
On the surface, Easy Cheesy Spaghetti might look like any ordinary "pasta with cheese" dish. But it's much more than that! The pasta doesn't just have cheese on it; it's coated in a simple yet creamy and sharp cheese-and-lemon-infused sauce that clings to every bite! There's a perfume of toasted black pepper pervading the entire dish, which makes each bite luxurious and deeply flavorful! Easy Cheesy Spaghetti might be speedy and a breeze to make, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a more beloved pasta meal!
On the surface, Easy Cheesy Spaghetti might look like any ordinary "pasta with cheese" dish. But it's much more than that! The pasta doesn't just have cheese on it; it's coated in a simple yet creamy and sharp cheese-and-lemon-infused sauce that clings to every bite! There's a perfume of toasted black pepper pervading the entire dish, which makes each bite luxurious and deeply flavorful! Easy Cheesy Spaghetti might be speedy and a breeze to make, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a more beloved pasta meal!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper plus more, to taste, for serving
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
- 4 cups water plus more, to taste
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice divided
- kosher salt to taste
- 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
Directions
- In a medium, high-sided skillet over medium-low heat, add the canola oil and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper and cook, while stirring gently, until the pepper starts to sizzle, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet from the heat.
- Add the lemon zest to the black pepper mixture and stir to combine.
- In a separate, large skillet, add the spaghetti and 4 cups of the water. If the water does not completely cover the pasta, add the extra water until it does.
- Bring the pasta to a boil.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the salt to the boiling water and cook the pasta, while using tongs to stir and separate the pasta, until it is just tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Add 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water to the black pepper mixture and stir to combine.
- Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the black pepper mixture in the skillet and toss to combine. Do not drain the pasta water.
- Add about 1/6 of the Pecorino Romano cheese and 1/6 of the parmesan cheese to the pasta mixture and stir vigorously to combine.
- Repeat adding the remaining Pecorino Romano and the remaining parmesan in increments to the pasta mixture, stirring until both of the cheeses are completely incorporated.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining reserved pasta water to the pasta mixture and toss until the cheese is melted and creamy.
- Drizzle the pasta with the remaining lemon juice.
- Season the pasta mixture with the salt, as needed.
- Serve topped with the extra black pepper.
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