cacio e pepe is one of the easiest pasta dishes to make, yet seems (and tastes) so fancy. Date night vibes!
We love to pair this savory, peppery pasta with a simple tossed salad and protein to create a balanced, restaurant-level meal with minimal effort and maximum deliciousness.
It is important here that you grate/shred the cheese yourself from a block. When you get pre-shredded cheese, it's coated in cellulose to stop it from sticking together - but it also keeps the cheese from melting properly. We don't care what hard cheese you use, just make sure you shred it yourself!
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 2.5 cups shredded/grated hard Italian cheese (parmesan, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, pecorino, asiago, etc...)
- 1 Tbsp putz pepper
- 1/2-1 c cooking water
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and return to a boil. Cook according to package instructions. BEFORE YOU DRAIN THE PASTA, reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. This is a very important ingredient!
- While that's cooking, combine the 2.5 cups cheese with putz pepper and a few tablespoons of water in a large bowl (large enough for the pasta). Mix to form a paste.
- Immediately after draining, put the hot pasta in the bowl with the cheese mixture. Add about 1/3 c of the cooking liquid and stir stir stir, until a creamy sauce has formed and the pasta is coated. Add more liquid if necessary.
