Cacio e Pepe
What could be better? Pasta, toasted black pepper, Pecorino Romano and butter. This should come together in under 20 minutes.
Serve 5
You will need a saucepan, skillet and grater for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 500g I Duro Pasta of your choice
- 70g finely grated Pecorino Romano + more for serving
- 1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
- Salt
(fresh thyme is fabulous but optional and NOT traditional!)
Method:
To begin, fill a pot with water to cook the pasta, and salt heavily. Set to high heat.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, heat up your skillet to medium low, add 1 tbsp of butter and toast the freshly cracked black pepper in the skillet in the butter. This will express the oils in the pepper, making the flavour bolder and more complex. Once fragrant, set aside.
Cook pasta until al dente; this is usually a minute less than the packet suggests. Reserve the cooking liquid; we’re going to finish the pasta in the skillet while building the sauce.
This recipe is all about simplicity – no strainer! With tongs or a slotted spoon, lift the al dente pasta straight into the butter and pepper mixture in the skillet. Don’t worry about the starchy water getting into the butter – pasta water is worth its weight in gold. Transfer another cup of pasta water into the skillet, and set to medium heat.
While stirring the pasta through the butter and pepper mixture, add the remaining butter and Pecorino Romano. Adjust consistency to taste with more pasta water; it should be thick enough to cling to the pasta but thin enough to still be a sauce. Serve with additional Pecorino Romano, if you have some fresh thyme..give it a whirl - sensational - and of course a good white wine.
