Cravings

You know those people you just really want to be friends with? Chrissy Teigen is at the top of my list. Since following her on social media, I’ve only fallen more in love with her. I really feel like she may be my the closest to my spirit person embodied in a celebrity. If you follow her on Instagram, then you know she loves her some food. The thing with her is, I believe her. Some celebs post pictures of food they supposedly eat and I just don’t buy it. But I genuinely see Chrissy’s love for food in her captions, photos, and random musings. Girl is after my own heart. The fact that she makes a list of all the things she wants to eat when she is done with a shoot (and thus, has been eating healthy for awhile) couldn’t speak closer to home.Long story short, when I saw her hinting at a cook book, I got reallllll excited. When she announced it’s release date (and the fact that it was available for pre-order) I immediately shared with my friend who is also obsessed. Turns out, this friend knows me so well and is so great, that she had already pre-ordered it for. She claims it was just so she can come over and I cook her recipes out of it. Regardless, I happily accepted. When it came in I was so excited and started plotting what I wanted to make first. I finally did this past weekend and in Chrissy I trust. Girl knows her food. The recipe was simple, easy to follow, and so delicious. Being a complete pasta addict, I started with her Lemon Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti. Basically, cheesy carb heaven.

I mean.. how good does this look? I’m drooling and wishing I had more leftovers to eat right now. If you want to try it out for yourself.. keep reading- I’m sharing the recipe below to get you started. But, if you’re any kind of cooking + food enthusiast, I suggest you just go ahead and buy her cookbook. You can do so here.

A few sections in her cookbook include:Salads (for when you need them), Party time, Sh*t on toast, soupmaster, and my personal favorite: noodles and carbs.

Chrissy’s Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

INGREDIENTS:

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces dried spaghetti (I used gluten free)
• 1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 big cloves)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
• 3 cups baby arugula

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisped, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the olive oil, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the lemon juice to the skillet, then toss in the drained pasta and toss to coat.
4. Add the cheese and toss, adding the pasta water, a couple of teaspoons at a time, just to help the cheese coat the pasta.
5. Add the arugula and toss until it wilts, about 1 minute.
6. Season to taste with additional salt, lots of black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with more cheese.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did– I’m sure I’ll end up cooking every thing in her cook book over time. Her title captures it perfectly: it’s all the food I want to eat, but know that I shouldn’t every day. Thanks for helping curb (and add to) my cravings, Chrissy!

PS- Let’s be best foodie friends.