We recently had a lovely dinner at our neighbours’ home, and they served a lovely dish that instantly stood out — warm and so full of flavor. Her dish was inspired by Chrissy Teigen’s Cacio e Pepe with Arugula and Lemon, and it reminded me how comforting a good pasta can be when it’s shared around a table.
While the original version focuses on creating a silky emulsion with pasta water, I decided to take this in a more rustic direction. My version skips the emulsion almost entirely. Instead, I rely on the richness of pure bacon fat (and some olive oil) to coat the noodles, allowing the cheese and fat to cling thickly to each strand for a rustic finish. The result isn’t a saucy pasta, but a deeply satisfying one — chewy, glossy, and unapologetically rich.
There’s something so honest about a pasta like this. It’s not fussy. It’s quick to put together, deeply aromatic, and it fills the kitchen with warmth. And as the days get colder, I’m reminded how beautiful and satisfying it is to bring simple, rustic pastas like this to the table. That dinner, and this dish, quietly inspired me to create more recipes just like it — family-style, generous, and made for sharing.
Rustic Arugula Bacon Lemon Spaghetti
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
410 g dried spaghetti (standard package, but 12-16 oz also works)
Juice of 1 large lemon (≈ 3 Tbsp / 45 mL), can increase to 1/4 cup
Zest of 1 large lemon (≈ 1 tsp finely grated)
half and up to full package bacon (≈ 200-400 g raw)
up to 1/4 cup olive oil
1 full head of garlic, smashed, finely sliced or minced (≈ 25 g)
2 packed cups (≈ 160 g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 packed cups (≈ 90 g) fresh baby arugula
2 tsp freshly-cracked black pepper, and more to taste
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions
- Bake the bacon
Arrange strips on a parchment-lined sheet.
Bake at 375 °F (190 °C) for 14–18 minutes, flipping once halfway.
You want crisp edges and a mix of rendered fat + browned bits.
Drain & measure: pour fat into a heatproof bowl, then measure 3-4 Tbsp (70–85 mL) of clear rendered fat. Top it up with olive oil to make a total of 1/3 cup (or about 6 TBSP). Total fat should not exceed 1/3 cup as too much will make the pasta greasy.
Place the bacon on paper towel line plate. - Boil the pasta
Bring 4 L of water to a rolling boil; add 1 Tbsp salt.
Cook spaghetti to al dente — about 1 minute less than box time.
Reserve ¾ cup (180 mL) of hot pasta water; drain the rest. - Build the flavor base
In a large skillet or sauté pan, add the 5–6 Tbsp measured bacon fat- olive oil mixture over low-medium heat.
Add garlic and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it’s just pale golden and fragrant — not brown.
Add lemon zest, a few cracks of black pepper, and chili flakes.
This infuses the fat before emulsifying. - Toss the pasta
Add the drained spaghetti straight into the pan with the garlic-lemon fat and toss to coat.
Add lemon juice, then the parmesan in small handfuls, tossing between each addition until melted and lightly creamy (not clumpy).
If too dry, add a splash of pasta water, a spoon at a time, but I typically don't add this for this dish to keep it thick and rustic. - Finish
Fold in arugula off the heat so it wilts gently.
Crumble or chop the baked bacon and stir it through.
Taste — adjust with salt, pepper, and more lemon if desired.
Sprinkle remaining parmesan over top and serve immediately.
