Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
8 ounces spaghetti
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving
1 cup finely, freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving
2 cups reserved pasta water
Steps
Fill a medium-large size pot with some water, only about 1 to 2 inches in depth, just enough to fully submerge the pasta underwater
Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat
While the water is heating, finely grate 1 cup of pecorino romano cheese and set aside
When the water boils, add 8 ounces of spaghetti to the pot and cook until 1 minute less than al dente according to the packaging directions
As the pasta cooks, add 2 tablespoons of butter to a saute pan and melt over medium heat
After the butter melts, add 1 teaspoon of black pepper to the melted butter and saute for 1 minute. Then remove the saute pan from the heat
Right before you drain your pasta, save 2 cups of the starchy pasta water in a heat safe liquid measuring cup
Drain the remaining water from the pasta
Start by adding a half cup of the reserved pasta water to the saute pan with the melted butter and toasted black pepper
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat
Add in the cooked and drained pasta to the pan
Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pasta and toss to combine
Sprinkle 1 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese all over the pasta and begin to toss with the warm pasta to form a silky sauce
If the sauce seems too thick and the pasta is too dry, pour in some more of the reserved pasta water
Remove the pan from the heat as to continue to toss the pasta with the simple melted cheese sauce and black pepper
Serve immediately in a small bowl
Top with more grated cheese and black pepper to taste
