Cacio de Pepe
I recently released a list of all of the staple items I keep in my pantry and my fridge. I consider these my “go-to” ingredients that always get me out of a bind when I’m trying to figure out what to make for dinner. As a recipient of that list, you also get e-mails including recipes using ingredients from that list.
When I was doing my research for my next WTHR segment and learned that National Pasta Month is in October, I knew I had to do cacio de pepe. It is the quintessential beginner’s pasta dish, full of flavor, and requires ingredients only from my kitchen staples list.
Cacio de Pepe is Italian for cheese and pepper. The primary ingredients are freshly cracked black pepper and pecorino romano cheese. Add a little olive oil, pasta and pasta water, and you’ve got a meal!
Cacio de Pepe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
- 1 pound Dried Spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 cups Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente. Before draining pasta, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water
- Heat the same pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Just before it starts to bubble, add black pepper. You will notice the oil shimmer slightly as an indicator that it’s ready for the pepper. Stir pepper and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup of pasta water and let come to a light boil.
- Add the drained pasta to the hot pan, toss to coat the noodles, then sprinkle in about 1 1/2 cup of cheese. Using tongs, stir the pasta vigorously. Adding more pasta water as needed to create a creamy sauce that clings to the pasta without clumping. You will more than likely use the remainder of the pasta water to develop enough sauce. Garnish with the remaining cheese and more coarsely ground pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!