Cacio e Pepe
This is a quick easy dish that stars cheese, pepper, and spaghetti noodles. The beauty of this recipe is that it is so easy to customize and makes a great base for a meal.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Tongs or Large Spoon
Ingredients
- Spaghetti Noodles
- Pecorino Romano I often use parmesan
- Salt
- Pepper Preferably freshly ground
- Salt Water Reserved from spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Fill the pot with enough water to submerge your pasta noodles.
- Add salt to the water until it tastes like ocean water.
- Bring saltwater to a boil.
- Cook spaghetti until an al dente texture is achieved. (If al dente is a new term for you this means that the center of an individual spaghetti noodle is firm but no longer crunchy.)
- Grate cheese while pasta cooks.
- Strain the pasta reserving a cup of the saltwater for use during the sauce-making process.
- Place the pasta back in the pot.
- Add some of the reserved water as well as some of the cheese.
- Using tongs or a wooden spoon mix the noodles quickly and try to ensure that fresh unmelted cheese gets folded into the center. As your technique improves you'll get less of the cheese stuck to the bottom of the pan and the tongs/spatula and more will stick to the noodles.
- Add more saltwater if needed. Don't overdo it though.
- Prior to serving sprinkle with a generous helping of pepper and a bit more cheese if you'd like.
Notes
This recipe is very versatile so don't be afraid to add different spices to alter the flavour profile. The sauce also takes a time or two to get right. Basically what you're looking for is a nice glossy look to your noodles without losing any of your cheese to the utensils or pan itself.