Cacio e Pepe is a simple yet elegant Italian pasta dish, made with fresh Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper tossed with spaghetti.

You know we’re all about simple yet elegant eats here at Wanderlust and Wellness, and this classic Cacio e Pepe dish truly captures that vibe. This dish requires only a few simple ingredients but packs tons of flavor. It’s such a rich and creamy dish, perfect for an easy dinner at home yet elegant enough to serve at your next dinner party.

When I said this dish only requires a few simple ingredients, I wasn’t kidding. You’ll need spaghetti, cracked black pepper, sea salt, Pecorino Romano cheese, and butter. That’s it! The key in making this dish is the process (and that heavenly pasta water you always hear the cooking shows mention…it really does make the sauce!) I’ve made this dish a total of three times and the first time was an absolute flop. I quickly realized that the key to a velvety rich and creamy sauce was vigorous speed while mixing. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a chunky sauce that looks less than appealing. I’ll go into all of the specific details in the recipe directions below.

Lastly, let’s talk wine. When we’ve chatted over on Instagram stories (which, by the way, if you’re not following us over on Instagram, come on over! We do a lot of chatting behind the scenes via Instagram stories.), many of you mentioned you don’t pair wines with your meals. Which, I can understand. However, the more I’ve expanded my pallet for wines I have realized that there is, in fact, reasoning behind wine and meal pairings. I decided I’d share with you my recommendations for wine pairings with a rich and creamy meal such as this Cacio e Pepe.

Five suggested wine pairings for Cacio e Pepe

While Cacio e Pepe is rich and creamy, it also carries a bit of a spicy kick due to the cracked black pepper. Because of this, I would suggest a full-bodied white wine or a light-bodied red wine. Also, please note that I am not a wine pairing expert, these are my suggestions based on personal experience while taking into account affordability and access. 

1. Chianti – suggested Bell’Agio Chianti
2. Pinot Grigio – suggested Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
3. Riesling – suggested Empire Estate Dry Reisling
4. Pinot Noir – suggested FEL Pinot Noir Anderson Valley
5. Cabernet Sauvignon – suggested ONEHOPE California Cabernet Sauvignon

Of course, with any wine pairings, you’ll have to try various types and see what your pallet prefers. Also, don’t be afraid to venture out to local wineries and try local varieties that match up with these traditional wines.

Cacio e Pepe Recipe:

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Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe is a simple yet elegant pasta dish made with only a few simple ingredients. 

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cacio e pepe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Jennifer

Ingredients

• 8 oz spaghetti
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the salt to the water and let dissolve. Add the spaghetti pasta and cook until al dente. 

2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet. Add the cracked black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, the melted butter and pepper, and about 3/4 cup of the pasta water. You want the water to be hot. Using a spoon, vigorously mix the ingredients to form a smooth paste. 

4. When the pasta has finished cooking, strain the pasta, keeping the pasta water reserved. Immediately add the hot pasta to the bowl with the cheese paste and begin to toss vigorously. Keep tossing quickly until the cheese is fully melted and pasta is coated with the creamy sauce. Add additional hot pasta water one tablespoon at a time, as needed. 

5. Once the pasta is fully coated and the sauce is smooth and creamy, immediately serve and top with additional grated Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. 

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Mazola® Corn Oil . All opinions are mine alone. #MakeItMazola #simpleswap #CollectiveBias

Weeknights can be super busy this time of year, that’s why I wanted to share with you a quick and easy dinner option that’s also a lighter option thanks to a few easy better-for-you ingredient swaps. This weeknight chicken stir-fry has a lighter flare, thanks to Mazola® Corn Oil. A clinical study showed Mazola® Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com. In addition to the corn oil swap, we’re also swapping in brown rice over white rice and liquid aminos for traditional soy sauce.

To get started, the chicken is sautéed in the Corn Oil with a little garlic and ginger. The spices combine nicely to give the chicken that traditional stir-fry flavor, due to the fact that Mazola® Corn Oil has a neutral taste that lets the natural flavor of your food stand out. Mazola® Corn Oil is an all-purpose cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy choice for your family. Variety of uses include baking, grilling, sautéing, stir-frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing. Which is why corn oil is my go-to oil of choice for any stir-fry recipe.

Once the chicken is done cooking you’ll remove it from the skillet and add in your fresh vegetables. Don’t worry about your vegetables tasting a bit off due to cooking them in the same skillet after the chicken. The good thing about Corn Oil is that it has a smoke point higher than most cooking oils at 450°F and performs well in a variety of cooking applications, including stir-frying, sautéing, grilling and even baking. Many home cooks may not realize that all cooking oils have a smoke point that, once exceeded, not only negatively affect the food’s flavor and nutritional value. Your vegetables will sauté nicely, without having that overcooked oil flavor.

It’s always been a challenge to get my teenage kids to try new vegetables and/or increase their vegetable intake. One dinner hack that has worked well to overcome this challenge is a weeknight stir-fry recipe that’s loaded with fresh vegetables. My kids will devour stir-fry, and this weeknight chicken stir-fry recipe did not disappoint! It makes me feel good that I’m able to swap in lighter ingredients while still offering up delicious flavors.

Let’s talk about the sauce, because what’s a good stir-fry recipe without a killer sauce, right?? Another better-for-you ingredient swap in this recipe is swapping out traditional soy sauce for straight liquid aminos. Both are traditionally made from soybeans, however, liquid aminos have less sodium than traditional soy sauce, almost 1/3 less sodium. The sauce in this weeknight chicken stir-fry uses three simple ingredients, liquid aminos, honey, and sriracha sauce. So much lighter than traditional stir-fry sauces that normally have much heavier ingredients.

While we’re talking about ingredient swaps, let’s talk about our third ingredient swap of brown rice over white rice. Brown rice is whole grain and is generally higher in fiber and other nutrients. White rice has had the husk, bran, and germ removed, which gives it that lighter (white) appearance and is not considered whole grain due to this.

Once it’s all ready, just assemble into bowls and serve! You’ll have this weeknight dinner on the table in under 30 minutes! Plus, you’ll feel good about serving your family a
lighter dinner option full of better-for-you ingredients.

Weeknight Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe

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Weeknight Chicken Stir-Fry

The perfect weeknight dinner with this #MakeItMazola #simpleswap chicken stir-fry dinner. 

Course Dinner

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword chicken, stir-fry

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author Jennifer

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked brown rice
• 2 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 6 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• 7 tbsp liquid aminos - divided
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 yellow peppers
• 1 cup snow peas
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 2 green onions - diced
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Boil the rice according to package directions then set aside. 

2. In a large skillet, (high-walled preferred), add the Mazola® Corn Oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper and heat over medium heat. Stir to combine and let cook for about 2 minutes, then add the chicken thighs, turning occasionally. 

3. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Cut the broccoli florets free from the stems. Cut the yellow peppers into thin, julienned strips. Thinly shred the cabbage, and dice the green onion from the top down to just before the root. Set all vegetables aside until ready to use.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the liquid aminos, honey, and sriracha sauce. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. 
   

5. Once the chicken is done, remove from the skillet, transferring to a plate. 

6. Add one tbsp. of the liquid aminos to the pan and deglaze it just a bit. Add in the yellow pepper, broccoli, and snow peas. Cook until softened. Then add in the cabbage and green onion. Cook until softened. 

7. While the vegetables are cooking, slice the chicken into thin slices. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the sliced chicken back into the pan with the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetable mixture, stir to combine. 
   

8. Divide the rice into individual bowls, top with the chicken and vegetable stir-fry and serve. 

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The weather is starting to finally cool down which means it’s time to enjoy all the rich and creamy soups like this creamy tomato tortellini soup.

We’re finally seeing some much-desired cooler temperatures here in the Midwest and I couldn’t be happier. It’s that time of year when I’m ready for all things Fall, like soups, and warm drinks, bonfires, and all the plaid clothing. This creamy tomato tortellini soup is the perfect meal to welcome in this cooler weather. Made with fresh tortellini, cream, Italian sausage, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.

A creamy tomato sauce is probably one of my favorite options for both pasta and soup, or in this case a soup with pasta! The fresh four-cheese tortellini is the perfect centerpiece for this soup, complemented by Italian sausage, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, all blanketed in a velvety rich creamy tomato sauce. You’re going to want more than one bowl of this soup, I promise you that!

This is also a soup you can put together fairly quickly. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have this rich and creamy soup ready to serve. I served this soup with a freshly-sliced baguette and it was dee-licious. This is also a soup the whole family will love, with its rich but subtle flavors. Let me know how you liked it in the comments below, or share your own pictures of your creamy tomato tortellini soup on social media! Be sure to tag Wanderlust and Wellness or use the hashtag #wanderlustandwellness so I’ll be sure to see your own creations!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup Recipe:

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Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Creamy tomato tortellini soup filled with fresh tortellini, cream, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. #soup #tortellini #tortellinisoup #creamytomatosoup

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword tortellini soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8

Author Jennifer

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
• 12 cups chicken broth (96 oz)
• 7 cups fresh cheese tortellini
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

1. In a skillet, cook the sweet Italian sausage, drain, and set aside. 

2. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the tortellini and boil for 7 minutes. 

3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in the heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cooked sweet Italian sausage, salt, basil, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure it does not continue to boil. If needed, reduce heat to low. 

4. Serve soup and top with freshly grated parmesan, if preferred. 

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