Simple let luxurious, Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe is a perfect late summer meal when you don’t feel like doing a ton of cooking but want something impressive. It’s quiet luxury on a plate! Keep reading to see how I make my Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe!
Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe
My whole family loves this Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe. And no wonder! It’s simple enough not to overwhelm the kids. And the adults get a little taste of luxury with its classic parmesan and pepper sauce.
But the real star here is the garlic zucchini. Do you know those movies where a totally side character who is only in the movie for like a quarter of it completely steals the whole show? That’s this zucchini.
Seriously, if you just wanted to serve this garlic zucchini as a side dish, I wouldn’t think twice. I would think you had great ideas.
Traditional Cacio e Pepe is enticing, but for me, I always feel like it’s a little straightforward. I love to dress it up just a little bit.
I get it–part of the point of Cacio e Pepe is the way these very simple ingredients come together to make something that feels really luxurious. The addition of the garlic zucchini just gives it a little something extra that makes the dish feel that much more substantial.
Late August is also a perfect time to be cooking with zucchini. I love it in both sweet and savory recipes, but I especially love zucchini in pasta.
Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe is a perfect dish for any night of the week. It comes together really quickly and is so satisfying! Here’s how I make it:
How I Make My Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe
The whole point of Cacio e Pepe, in my opinion, is to have a very simple sauce, very few ingredients, and to deliver a luxury dish. So my version keeps it simple, even with the addition of garlic zucchini.
To make it, I start by cooking the spaghetti. Of course you can use any cut of pasta, but spaghetti here is a classic. I like the way it winds around the parmesan and zucchini in a little pasta hug too.
Important note–before you drain the pasta, set aside 2 cups of the starchy water. You’ll need that to make the pasta dish feel creamy as it comes together.
While the pasta is cooking, start frying the zucchini in a large pan. Ultimately the whole dish will go in the pan, so pick one that’s big enough. Heat the olive oil and add the garlic. Let the garlic cook until fragrant, 30-6o seconds. Be careful here not to overcook and brown the garlic as it can get a little bitter that way. Then add in the zucchini. You want to stir this only occasionally because part of the goal here is to get some beautiful browning on the zucchini. Letting it sit while cooking helps with that.
Remove the zucchini to a side plate and bring the pan back to the heat. Add in half the butter and let it melt. Then add in the ground pepper and let it toast for about a minute. Now add in about a cup of the pasta water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the rest of the butter and the pasta. Toss until the butter melts.
Turn the heat down to low and add in the parmesan. You will want to sprinkle the parmesan over the entire dish, not just dump it into the middle in order to prevent clumping. Gently start tossing it, getting the cheese into the liquid that’s already in the pan. Add tablespoons of the remaining pasta water if the pasta is too dry. You can also use the pasta water to help with clumping and to melt the cheese.
Add the zucchini back into the pan and give it a final toss. Taste for seasonings. Parmesan can be quite salty, so definitely taste it before adding additional salt.
Now it’s time to kick back and enjoy! This dish feels very luxurious and elegant–it’s perfect with a crisp glass of white wine. Actually, this would be a perfect, elegant accompaniment to my Hazelnut Thyme Champagne Cocktails! This dish is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but I personally love this one for a weekend dinner. I never feel like cooking on Friday and Saturday night–this is the perfect amount of work to me on those nights, meaning very very little. This would be lovely at a dinner party as well with a fun salad. Enjoy!
Garlic Zucchini Cacio e Pepe
Course: DinnerDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
1lb spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, diced
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan
Directions
- Bring a large pot to a boil. Once boiling, cook the spaghetti as directed on the package. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water from the pot before draining.
- While the spaghetti cooks: heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds-1minute, until fragrant. Then add the zucchini. Cook the zucchini until browning, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Transfer the cooked zucchini to a plate and bring the pan back to medium heat. Add two tablespoons of butter and melt. Once melted, add the pepper. and toast, about 1 minute. Then add in a cup of the pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and the rest of the butter. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat on the pan down to low and add in the parmesan cheese. Toss the pasta, cheese, and liquid in the pan until the cheese is melted. Add additional pasta water by the tablespoon if the pasta seems too dry and/or to help melt the parmesan cheese.
- Add the zucchini back into the pan and stir everything together. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!
