The way to my heart is cheese and pasta…so it’s no wonder cacio e pepe is a favorite dish of mine. We were obviously obsessed with this dish in Rome, and always wondered how they got their cheese perfectly melted every.single.time. After a few trial and errors re-creating this dish I think we finally have a winner. The key to this recipe is freshly grated parmesan cheese and cooking the noodles in a shallow pan. The extra water from the noodles and a little bit of olive oil helps to make the pasta perfectly creamy. Trust me this recipe for cacio e pepe is a staple in our household and easy for weeknight meals.
Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 12 oz Bucatini Pasta You could also use Spaghetti or Linguine pasta
- Salt
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1-2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Use a shallow pan that’s wide enough to hold the pasta. Fill the pan with just enough water that it would cover the pasta. Add a few dashes of salt so your water is salty like the ocean (that’s the best analogy I use for salting the water). Bring the water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling add the pasta. Stir occasionally over medium-high heat so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pan. Allow the water to absorb in the pasta and refrain from adding more water.
- When the pasta is al dente and the pasta water is almost all absorbed, turn off the heat. If you have too much water remove with a spoon but reserve the pasta water in a cup in case you need it. You should have just a little bit of water, but not a ton left in your pan. The starchy water from the noodles helps to make the sauce.
- Add the freshly ground pepper (to your taste) and parmesan cheese. For an extra step you could toast your fresh black pepper in a pan for a few minutes on medium heat. This helps to bring out the flavor of the pepper, but it’s not a required step. Stir until the pepper and the cheese are well combined. Toss in a little olive oil to help combine the sauce.
- Serve the pasta with a little more pepper, parmessan cheese and olive oil on top.
The biggest issues I’ve had making this dish was the cheese clumping or the sauce not coming together. What I learned was the pasta water is the key ingredient because of the starch in the water. This really helps to bind together the cheese and the pasta so don’t be afraid of having a little extra water in your dish after your pasta is cooked al dente. I should also note that grating your own parmesan cheese is a MUST. I’ve tried buying cheese that’s already grated and trust me it just doesn’t work. Finely grating the cheese at home will really help the sauce come together. Cory and I have also added fresh lemon zest or red pepper flakes to this dish for some extra flavor.
If you like this recipe be sure to check out more recipes on The GR Guide. This recipe for holiday sugar cookies is perfect for the holiday season!
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