Cacio e Pepe, translated from Italian to "Cheese and Pepper," might be the most simple yet delicious pasta dish out there. This dish allows the ingredients to speak for themselves, and is always a success whether it is the star of the show or used as a side dish. This is one of my favorite meals to make with ingredients I already have on hand and it can be ready in a cinch. Once you make this dish, I promise you'll find yourself craving it ALL. THE. TIME.
P.S. Feel free to add more grated cheese...Measure that one with your heart!
Ingredients:
1 box dry fettuccine pasta
2 tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
⅓ C freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
Directions:
1. Follow the cooking instructions for the pasta provided on the box.
2. While the noodles cook, using a fine cheese grater to grate the cheese.
3. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and set it aside. Drain the noodles in a colander and return to the pasta pot on the stove on low heat.
4. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and toss until noodles are evenly coated. Add pasta water and grated cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add freshly cracked pepper and salt to taste.
5. Remove from heat and serve immediately. To serve, top with an additional splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
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