Leek Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe is a classic Roman pasta: simple, creamy, and made with just Pecorino cheese, black pepper, and pasta water. This version adds leeks for an extra layer of flavor while keeping the dish simple and luxurious. It really is perfect for a cozy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Serves: 2 (easily doubled)
8-10 baby leeks, sliced
10 ounces spaghetti
6 Tbsp butter
1.5 cup freshly grated Pecorino (or sub with Parmesan)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until soft and “melted”—about 8 minutes. The whites should look translucent, and the greens bright.
Add remaining 4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 cup pasta water and pepper and shake the pan and swirl to help emulsify the sauce.
Add pasta and cheese and continue stirring and mixing, adding more pasta water as needed until you have a glossy sauce that coats the noodles.
Your pasta water, cheese, and, likely, the butter will all be salty, so you may not need to add any salt at all. Just taste the pasta and add salt as needed until the taste of the pepper, leeks and cheese all pop.
Serve immediately, topped with a little extra Pecorino and pepper if desired.
Quick Tip: Pre-shredded cheeses generally have some sort of anti-caking agent on them so that they won’t clump together when packaged. This agent makes melting smoothly into a sauce difficult. You’ll get much better flavor and texture by shredding your own!
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