This may be the simplest pasta dish in the world, but it also has everything a good pasta dish needs: garlic, cheese and pepper. That's it. You probably have all of the base ingredients already, so a quick trip to a specialty store for some fresh pasta and grated Pecorino Romano cheese would be well worth your time, especially because the dish only takes 25 minutes start to finish (less, if you use fresh pasta).
The only slightly tricky part of this incredibly easy recipe is keeping an eye on the pasta. If you’re using fresh noodles, you really won’t have to precook it long. In fact, you may just want to loosen it slightly before draining it and setting it aside. After all, no one wants an authentic Italian meal ruined by overcooked pasta.
Spaghetti Cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper)
4
5 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
1 pound spaghetti (fresh if possible)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed
1 3/4 cups Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and season with kosher salt.
Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the box, until about two minutes before al dente.
Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cups of the pasta water, and set aside.
Place a large skillet over a medium high heat.
Add the olive oil and butter and, once shimmering, the garlic and ground pepper. Swirl the pan constantly until the pepper is toasted and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and stir well.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the Pecorino Romano cheese.
Stir well, until the cheese has fully melted and every strand of pasta is coated.
Add more of the reserved water if the sauce seems dry, and add the remaining butter. Stir well.
Cook until al dente, remove from heat and serve immediately.
Garnish with a little more Pecorino Romano cheese and the chopped parsley.