Cacio e Pepe with Chicken and Vegetables

Cacio e Pepe with Chicken and Vegetables is basically a peppery grown-up mac and cheese with roasted chicken and vegetables that is ready in just 30 minutes.

This super-simple pasta dish requires minimal ingredients but has maximum flavor.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe

• This super-simple pasta dish is ready in just thirty minutes which makes this perfect for weeknight dinners.
• Cacio e pepe is made with simple ingredients. Just add roasted vegetables and chicken for an amazingly delicious meal.

Love easy chicken recipes? Try this Greek chicken marinade.

What is Cacio e Pepe?

Cacio e Pepe translated from Italian means cheese and pepper. To make Cacio e Pepe, pasta is tossed with olive oil, butter, freshly ground pepper, starchy pasta water, and traditionally Romano cheese although Parmesean cheese is often used as well.

Adding roasted chicken and vegetables makes this a delicious and more balanced meal. To learn more about roasting vegetables read this post "Tips for Perfectly Roasted Vegetables."

Ingredients

Chicken Breast: Juicy roasted chicken breasts add protein to make this a complete meal. If you don't have chicken breasts you could also substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Olive Oil and Unsalted Butter: Olive oil is traditional but I like to add butter as well for extra flavor and creaminess. It also encourages the cheese to melt rather than clump together.

Cherry Tomatoes and Zucchini: Adding a couple of vegetables brightens the dish. I love adding cherry tomatoes and zucchini at the end of summer when both are plentiful. Make sure to chop the vegetables into small bite-sized 1-inch pieces. You could also swap out the tomatoes and zucchini for many other vegetable combinations. 

• Broccoli and Carrots
• Asparagus and Peas (Fresh or Thawed): Don't worry about roasting the peas first. They are so small they will cook once added to the sauce.
• Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

Short Pasta: Classic cacio e pepe is made with spaghetti or bucatini, but with the addition of chicken and vegetables I think a shorter pasta works better. Use a short pasta like penne, gemelli, rotini, or shells.

You will notice that the recipe starts cooking the pasta in cold water rather than boiling water. There are several great reasons to start cooking the pasta in cold water:

• It takes less energy to heat. Since we are using less water, the water will start to boil faster.
• The pasta will be done faster. When pasta is cooked it isn't only the heat that softens it. Pasta also absorbs water as it cooks. As the pasta hydrates, it softens. This is also why it is important to salt your pasta water. As the pasta absorbs water it also absorbs salt seasoning it from the inside out.
• The pasta water is more concentrated. This dish relies upon starchy pasta water to give it a silky, creamy texture. By cooking the pasta in less water the starch content is more concentrated.

Starchy water:  Save a cup of the water the pasta was cooked in. This starchy pasta water will create an emulsion with the oil, butter, and cheese to create a creamy, rich sauce.

Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Avoid using preground pepper. Once the pepper is ground it begins to lose flavor. Freshly ground peppercorns will provide the most flavor. There are several great methods for grinding pepper.

• Use a coffee grinder. I have a coffee grinder that is used just for grinding spices. It is the fastest and least labor-intensive way of grinding fresh spices.
• Mash them up with a mortar and pestle.
• Use your favorite pepper mill.

Romano Cheese: Traditional recipes use Pecorino Romano but you could substitute Parmesan Cheese although Romano cheese is more flavorful. Both kinds of cheese are reluctant to melt due to their age and dryness.

This means it is important to grate the cheese as finely as possible (a Microplane works great for this). Be sure to add the cheese off the heat to help prevent clumping.

Note: Freshly grated cheese is best. Don't use the pre-grated stuff in the green can or your sauce will be gritty and clumpy.

Fresh Herbs: I always have a surplus of fresh herbs growing in my garden. I like to finish cacio e pepe by topping it with a mixture of freshly chopped herbs. Some of my favorites include thyme, parsley, oregano, and basil.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Pat the chicken dry, drizzle both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the center of the sheet pan.

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes and zucchini with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt.

Arrange the tomatoes and zucchini around the edges of the large pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time may vary based on the size and thickness of your chicken. After roasting the chicken, slice it into bite-sized pieces.

While the chicken and vegetables are roasting, add the pasta and 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt to a large pot. I really like using my large dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the pasta by one inch. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

When the water boils, uncover and reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking and simmer for about 4 minutes and 30 seconds or until al dente.

Remove the pasta with a spider strainer and set it aside. Reserve one cup of pasta water.

In the same large pot that you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add ¾ cup of the hot pasta water into the pan and let it boil. This will create an emulsion.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the drained pasta. Use tongs to coat everything with the sauce. Sprinkle in all but a handful of the cheese. Continue tossing until the cheese has melted adding additional pasta water if necessary to create a creamy sauce. I like using these tongs because I know the silicone won't scratch my enamel-coated dutch oven.

Top with roasted vegetables and sliced cooked chicken.

Garnish with fresh parsley and the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving cacio e pepe with a fresh green salad and slices of garlic bread.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

While cacio e pepe is best eaten immediately, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

To reheat on the stovetop, place leftover cacio e pepe in a skillet with a splash of water. Cook on medium-low heat until heated through.

To reheat in the microwave, place leftover cacio e pepe in the microwave with a splash of water to keep the pasta from drying out. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Take it out and give it a stir. Return to the microwave and heat for an additional minute. Be careful to not overcook the pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips

• Toasting the pepper in the oil an butter deepens its flavor. Don't just add it in at the end.
• For the best flavor use freshly ground pepper not the preground stuff.
• The pasta water is the secret to a rich creamy sauce. As the pasta cooks it releases starch into the water. This starchy water helps to thicken the sauce.

Continue to Content

📖 Recipe

Cacio e Pepe with Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Cacio e Pepe is a super-simple pasta dish that is ready in thirty minutes which makes this perfect for weeknight dinners.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 small chicken breasts - pounded to ½ inch thickness
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 2 small zucchini - halved lengthwise and chopped into ½ in pieces
• 8 oz. of dry short pasta (such as penne or rotini)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces ( about 1 cup) Pecorino or Parmesan cheese - very finely grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, oregano, or basil)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
2. Drizzle both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the center of the sheet pan.
3. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes and zucchini with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the tomatoes and zucchini around the edges of the sheet pan.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time may vary based on the size and thickness of your chicken. After roasting the chicken, slice it into bite-sized pieces.
6. While the chicken and vegetables are roasting, add the pasta and 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt to a large pot. Add enough water to cover the pasta by one inch. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
7. When the water boils, uncover and reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking and simmer for about 6 minutes until al dente.
8. Remove the pasta with a spider strainer and set it aside. Reserve one cup of the pasta water.
9. In the same large pot that you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
10. Add ¾ cup of the pasta water into the pan and let it boil. This will create an emulsion.
11. Remove the pan from the heat and add the drained pasta. Use tongs to coat everything with the sauce. Sprinkle in all but a handful of the cheese. Continue tossing until the cheese has melted adding additional pasta water if necessary to create a creamy sauce. Top with roasted vegetables and sliced chicken.
12. Garnish with fresh herbs and the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes

While cacio e pepe is best eaten immediately, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat for a couple of minutes in the microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 346Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 27g

This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from an online calculator. Although raspberriesandkohlrabi.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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