Cacio e Pepe
- Yield 2
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 20 minutes
- Total 30 minutes
Cacio e Pepe is a pasta recipe on Avoteb. The yield on the card is 2. Plan on 30 minutes from start to plate. The amounts and the method are both on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 2 servings
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (I recommend bucatini)
- 2 tablespoons butter, diced into 1-tablespoon chunks*
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground coarse black pepper*
- 2 ounces finely-grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Method
Bring to a boil the pasta water. Fill a large stockpot about halfway full of water (roughly 3 quarts) and bring it to a rolling boil. Generously season the water with fine sea salt (about 2 tablespoons).
Bloom the pepper. While that cooks, as the pasta water heats, melt the butter in a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over a medium burner. Tip in the pepper and let it cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. If you have an electric stove, you'll want to remove the pan from the hot burner entirely.
Leave the pasta. Tip in the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just barely al dente.
Turn the pasta. Take tongs* to quickly move the pasta directly to the sauté pan with the melted butter and pepper. Tip in 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pan and toss the pasta briefly to combine. Tip in in half of the cheese and toss the pasta briefly to coat. Tip in in the remaining half of the cheese and continue tossing the pasta, adding in a few extra tablespoons of starchy pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce, until the cheese is melted and forms a smooth and glossy sauce.
Plate Plate the pasta immediately, garnished with an extra twist of black pepper and/or extra Pecorino if desired. This pasta is definitely best served hot out of the pan, so please enjoy it right away!
