cheese & pepper pasta (cacio e pepe)
I will confess that it took me several years to get this recipe right. My Aunt Josephine used to make it all the time, but I never watched how she did it. The ingredients are simple: cheese, pepper, and pasta… so what’s so hard about that? Well as one of my teachers used to say, oftentimes the simplest dishes are the easiest to get wrong. She spoke from years of cooking wisdom. So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Cacio e Pepe is a restaurant-quality dinner that can be made at home. It's wonderful for a special occasion like Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or a holiday. Mixing the hot pasta water with Pecorino Romano cheese creates a creamy and cheesy sauce for the spaghetti. You'd never guess there wasn't heavy cream or milk in the dish. Thanks to a heavy amount of freshly ground pepper it's a little spicy. It's a wonderful bowl of pasta.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces spaghetti or Tonnarelli
- 8 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese
- - freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How To Make cheese & pepper pasta (cacio e pepe)
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Step 1Chef’s Note: Just one thing about traditional Cacio e Pepe It does not have any: Milk Heavy Cream Vegetable Oil Butter Parmigianino Reggiano This was a simple dish invented by the Romans… It’s designed to get it on the table quickly, with good hearty flavor, and that’s it… full stop. -
Step 2Gather your ingredients.
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Step 3Grate the Pecorino Romano, and reserve.
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Step 4Bring 3 quarts of water to the boil and add a bit of salt.
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Step 5Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions.
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Step 6Drain the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water.
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Step 7Place a serving bowl over a pot of hot water and warm the bowl up.
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Step 8Chef’s Tip: This is an important step, and will help with the mixing of the cheese and the pasta.
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Step 9Add the pasta to the warm bowl.
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Step 10Gradually add Pecorino Romano cheese and a bit of hot water tossing vigorously until you get a creamy consistency.
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Step 11Chef’s Tip: If the sauce becomes too watery, add more cheese; if it becomes too dry, add some of the pasta water.
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Step 12Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and toss.
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Step 13Serve while still nice and warm. Enjoy.
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Step 14Chef’s Note: I did make this dish using a spaghetti squash in place of the pasta, and it was awesome. You might want to give it a try.
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Step 15Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
