Cacio e Pepe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Simplistic, but a Roman favourite for a reason. Pecorino cheese and pepper come together to make a tasty, creamy and simple sauce.
Ingredients
250 g spaghetti (or tonnarelli, if you can find)
½ Tbsp (7.5 ml) black peppercorns
1½ C (375 ml) Pecorino Romano, finely grated + extra for garnishing
Instructions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve at least 2 cups of the pasta water before draining. Set aside.
Crush the black peppercorns in a pestle and mortar. In a large pan, dry toast the crushed pepper over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add about half a cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan and let it simmer gently to slightly thicken and infuse with the pepper.
In a small bowl, mix the grated Pecorino with about half a cup of the hot pasta water, and whisk to form a smooth, creamy paste. Adjust the water as needed – it should be thick but pourable.
Transfer the drained pasta to the pan with the pepper. Add the Pecorino paste and quickly toss or stir vigorously to emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta. Add more pasta water, a splash at a time, if needed, to keep the sauce silky and smooth.
Serve immediately with extra Pecorino cheese grated over and cracked black pepper on top, if desired.
Notes
Use store-bought spaghetti to make this simple but delicious midweek meal.
