Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Spaghetti cacio e pepe which translates to cheese and pepper, is hands down my favorite pasta dish.  Beyond it being delectable, what brings this recipe to the top of my list of favorites is that it’s just so easy to make.  

The whole experience is almost heavenly.  

In less than 15 minutes this dish goes from craving to creation.

And it’s really hard to get this one wrong.  As long as you start with good spaghetti, Pecorino cheese, and coarsely cracked black peppercorns, success it practically guaranteed.  I love this dish so much that it’s often my go-to dish when I’m under the weather.  

Forget the chicken soup. 

I make that for others when I’m feeling alright.  It’s just too much work when I’m out of sorts.

For me it’s spaghetti cacao e pepe.  It’s easy to make and always leaves me feeling better than I felt before my fork started twirling those cheesy peppery pasta strands.   

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Prep time: 1 min

Cook time: 10 min

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 4 oz. spaghetti
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
• ¼  cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid

Video Tutorial: 

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti in salted water, two minutes shy of the package instructions.
2. In a medium skillet, over a low heat, add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water with one tablespoon of olive oil then and the slightly under-cooked pasta.
3. Add the Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano and cracked black pepper and stir until the cheese is melted and most of the pasta water is absorbed then turn off the heat, add the butter stir to until the pasta nicely coated.
4. Serve immediately and twirl the pasta into a nest as you put it onto the plates so it retains it heat then garnish with more cheese and cracked black pepper and serve.