Anyone else totally missing restaurants? Travel? Someone else cooking for you? Ok, maybe this was a silly question 🙃 Today we’re going to keep cooking on our “bringing the restaurant home” quest and dive into the delightful world of Cacio e Pepe! Cacio e Pepe is one of my all-time favorite restaurant dishes and I basically ate it three meals a day during our trip to Rome. In the voice of Joey Tribbiani, Carbs? Good. Pasta? Good. Cheese? GOOD!
This Cacio e Pepe recipe is a ten minute meal that’s ridiculously cheesy and delicious. What more could you want?!
What Does Cacio e Pepe mean?
Cacio e Pepe literally means “cheese and pepper” and is basically the grown up version of Macaroni & Cheese.
What is the origin of Cacio e Pepe?
Cacio e Pepe is a staple in modern Roman (Italian) cuisine. It is traditionally made with just a few simple ingredients: Bucatini Pasta, Pecorino Romano, Salt, and Black Pepper.
Now, this recipe does include butter which is not traditionally included in the most authentic recipes, but I do think it gives us home cooks a little edge and added creaminess.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb Pasta of choice, Bucatini is most traditionally used
- 6 tbsp Salted Butter or Unsalted Butter + 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
- 8 oz Grated Pecorino Romano
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce, drain the pasta and set it aside.
In a large sauté pan (or you can wait until the pasta is done cooking and reuse the pot), melt the butter over medium-low heat.
Once melted, add in the pepper and cook for 1 minute to infuse the butter.
Reduce the heat to low, add in the reserved 1 cup of pasta water and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the cooked pasta and the Pecorino Romano and stir until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated in a creamy cheese sauce.
Remove from heat, grab a fork and dive on in! Buon Appetito! Be prepared to face plant into your dish and for Cacio e Pepe dreams to ensue.
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Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta of choice Bucatini is most traditionally used
- 6 tbsp Salted Butter or Unsalted Butter + 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
- 8 oz Grated Pecorino Romano
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce, drain the pasta and set it aside.
- In a large sauté pan (or you can wait until the pasta is done cooking and reuse the pot), melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add in the pepper and cook for 1 minute to infuse the butter. Reduce the heat to low, add in the reserved 1 cup of pasta water and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the cooked pasta and the Pecorino Romano and stir until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated in a creamy cheese sauce. Remove from heat, grab a fork and dive on in! Buon Appetito!
