Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe
Author: The Blue Jean Chef, Meredith Laurence
Serves: 4
This is one of my favorite simple satisfying pasta dishes. Cacio e pepe simply means cheese and pepper. There’s not much to it, so make sure you use GREAT quality ingredients – that means true Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses and freshly cracked black peppercorns.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about ¾ cup)
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about ¾ cup)
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black peppercorns
Instructions
- Pre-heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and melt. Turn the heat off under the sauté pan but keep the pan on the stovetop.
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for the suggested time on the package, until the pasta is al dente.
- When the spaghetti is al dente, reserve one cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan, along with ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water. Add the grated cheeses and the black pepper. Toss well, adding more of the reserved pasta water to the pan to lubricate the pasta as necessary.
- Serve in a large bowl with a pepper grinder at the table for those who want more heat. Compliment with a simple green salad.