Happy Monday!
I told you guys I was going to share my cacio e pepe recipe with you so, here it is! Cacio e pepe is literally one of the easiest pasta dishes out there. It literally means cheese and pepper. Yes, cheese and pepper pasta is one of my favorites! It also happens to be one of those dishes that so often gets messed up and for no good reason. I’m talking when I go to restaurants… I’ve had some bad cacio e pepe at restaurants and it makes zero sense to me why they try to do so much. They’re professionals… like, how do they mess it up? Anyways, for this reason, I thought I’d share my recipe with you so that you can make it at home. It’s 5 ingredients, done in 25 minutes and is so frickin’ good.
It can easily be gluten free by swapping out the noodles and using a gf noodle option.
The key to cacio e pepe is the pasta water. So, please whatever you do, keep 1 cup of the pasta water like stated in the directions. Also, make sure to buy nice cheese. After all, it is the shining ingredient in the dish.
Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 5 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese good quality cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese good quality cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil generously salted water. When boiling, add your pasta and cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water in a liquid measuring cup.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the pepper and cook for about 1 minute or until toasted.
- Add about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Then add the pasta and remaining 3 tbsp butter. Reduce heat to low and add the parmesan and pecorino. Tossing with tongs until melted and sticking to the noodles. Add more pasta water if too thick. Transfer to plates and top with a little more pecorino and fresh pepper.
If you make it, tag me on instagram @honestdarling.
Xox
Tessa
