Cacio e pepe style Zucchini Pasta yields fast, decadent flavor with a healthy veggie twist. Lightly pan-sear fresh zucchini noodles, then toss them with bucatini or spaghetti in a light parmesan sauce. The key to nailing the sauce is in the prep work - finely shred the parmesan cheese using a microplane, then toss sauce the sauce off the heat. Rely on the heat from the warm pasta and pasta water to help emulsify the sauce.
Bring four quarts of water to a boil in an 8-quart pot. Add the salt and pasta. Cook pasta to 1 minute below al dente (see package instructions). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
Heat a 12" skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the zucchini and toss to coat in the fat. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until just barely bite tender.
Push the zucchini to one side of the skillet. Add the butter and heat until it melts. Add the pepper and toast in the butter, stirring continuously, for 1 minute.
Add ½ c reserved pasta water to the skillet. Simmer for one minute.
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with the zucchini noodles and pan sauce. Remove from heat.
Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl, then add the parmesan cheese in batches, folding the cheese into the pasta until a creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, add additional pasta water, a small splash at a time, until the consistency is creamy, but thin, and lightly coats the pasta and zucchini. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
Be sure to transfer the pasta to a serving bowl before adding the parmesan cheese so that the heat from the skillet does not cause the cheese to congeal.