Cacio e Pepe
Classic Italian Pasta with Pecorino and Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried pasta - I prefer spaghetti or linguini
- 4 - 5 Tbsp butter
- 2 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
- 1 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese plus more for topping
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Cook the spaghetti (or whatever pasta you plan to use) according to package directions, less one minute. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, when the pasta is close to done, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp of the butter in the pan and toast the crushed pepper in the fat. Cook only for one minute, then add the cooked (drained) pasta directly to the pan and toss to coat with the butter and pepper. Toss in the full cup of grated cheese, continuing to stir and use the reserved pasta water to reach a desired silkiness with the sauce - I tend to use 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
- Top with extra fresh pepper and grated pecorino - enjoy!
Notes
This recipe exemplifies the beauty of Italian cooking with minimal high quality ingredients, lending an extraordinary result with only minutes to cook. I like pepper - feel free to use less for your own tastes. Also, the cheese is up to you - I prefer pecorino over parmesan, as it's the classic for this recipe, but they both work!