Details
Cacio e pepe
There are countless divine Italian pasta recipes, but this one is genius in its simplicity. Translating as cheese and pepper, the dish, as its name suggests, uses a handful of basic ingredients: black pepper, cheese, pasta and butter. You'll find versions made with either spaghetti, linguine or pici, which is a short, thick worm-like pasta, and there's also debate about what cheese to use – it's usually either Parmesan or pecorino romano.
Details
Cuisine :
ItalianRecipe Type :
PastaDifficulty :
EasyPreparation Time :
5 minsCooking Time :
10 minsServes :
2
Ingredients
200 g spaghetti or linguine
1 pinch sea salt, for the cooking water
1 large knob of butter
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to serve
60 g Parmesan or pecorino or a mixture (or a vegetarian alternative), finely grated, plus extra to serve
Recipe
1
Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for 6–8 minutes, or until it is not quite tender and still has some bite remaining. Drain and reserve the pasta water.
2
Quickly return the pan to a medium-high heat. Add the butter and, when melted, add the pepper and heat for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3
Add a ladleful of pasta cooking water (about 100 ml/3.5 fl oz/scant 0.5 cup) to the pan and bring to the boil.
4
Reduce the heat, return the pasta to the pan with three-quarters of the cheese, then stir and shake the pan to melt the cheese and create a sauce that clings to the pasta.
5
Add the remaining cheese and toss the pasta until it melts and you have a silky smooth sauce, adding a splash more of the cooking water if the sauce seems dry.
6
Divide between warmed dishes and serve immediately with extra cheese and pepper.