Cacio e Pepe

I absolutely love this old Roman recipe the ingredients are simply black pepper, Pecorino Romano cheese and pasta. A little pasta water is added because the heat melts the cheese and the starches in the water help to create this creamy sauce. Cacio e Pepe is a classic dish from Rome Italy and if you haven’t tried it you really should. It’s easy to make (like all legit Italian food) and delicious.

You’ll need:

• 1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper
  
• 8 tbs unsalted butter at room temperature
  
• 1/2-3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  
• 1 lb spaghetti cooked al dente
  
• 1/4 cup pasta water

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta 2-min short of recommended time
2. In a 12″ skillet add the butter and pepper and put the heat to medium
3. Once the butter is melted (do not brown it) add thepasta water and whisk this with a fork for 2 minutes on a low heat
4. Remove from the heat and move the pasta from the water and place directly into the skillet
5. Toss the pasta with the butter and pepper graduallyadding the cheese for 2 or more minutes to completely coat the pasta and create the creamy sauce
6. Serve with more grated cheese on the side

Seriously, how easy is that?

Daniel Mancini

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