Cacio e Pepe

Pasta is one of my all time favorite foods. I learned how to make this dish at a cooking class in Rome. “Cacio e Pepe” means “cheese and pepper.” While there are many different versions of this recipe out there, this traditional Roman recipe does not use butter.

If I have time, I’ll make this with my own homemade pasta like I did here. Here’s a quicker version of the recipe using dried pasta.

Ingredients:
8 ounces spaghetti
3 T olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 t cracked fresh pepper 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until very al dente (about 3-4 minutes less than it says on the package). 
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the cracked pepper and sauté with the olive oil until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
With tongs, remove the al dente pasta from the pot. However, do not drain the pasta water. Add the pasta to the olive oil and pepper. Let cool slightly. 
Slowly add in the cheese and continue to swirl the pasta with the tongs. If pasta starts becoming dry, add in a tablespoon of the pasta water and keep mixing. Continue to do this until all the cheese is used and it becomes a creamy paste. Serve right away🍝