Cacio e pepe is a comforting and tasty pasta dish. It is easy to make and requires only 4 ingredients. This recipe comes together in 15 minutes which is a go-to for a quick and delicious meal.
If you are looking for an easy dish to make, cacio e pepe is a great one to go for.
It is the perfect comforting food ready in minutes especially when you want some carbs.
With pasta coated with luscious, creamy, peppery sauce get your table ready to enjoy.
What is cacio e pepe?
Cacio e pepe is a comforting dish of pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, coarsely ground fresh black pepper and pasta water.
This recipe is not an authentic Italian recipe but is inspired by the Italian recipes I have seen which are simple but with techniques that are followed traditionally.
I am going with the simple way with minimal but quality ingredients like our pesto, broad beans and broccoli pasta salad.
If you want a simple pasta dish with a lemony flavour go for our lemon pasta recipe. It is as quick and easy to make but has a lemony zing.
What is cacio e pepe sauce made of?
The sauce is made by emulsifying pasta water and cheese. It results in a luscious, creamy sauce.
What does cacio e pepe mean in English?
It translates to cheese and pepper.
Life sometimes takes us by surprise. I become surprised by the number on the bills for example. But life must go on and we keep living not existing.
Learning to make simple recipes like this pasta recipe makes cooking easier and also adds zest to life.
After blanching vegetables in a pot of water I do not want to throw the water so I cook something else. Sometimes I save it for soups and cook pasta with the water another time.
Here is where simple pasta recipes come in. This time it is cacio e pepe which is in no way boring.
Ingredients for cacio e pepe
This recipe is not authentically Italian but Italian-style. I have yet to learn the Roman style of cooking this Roman pasta dish.
Please double or triple the ingredients as needed as I only made this dish for two persons.
Pappardelle – I used pappardelle for this recipe which only required 4 minutes of cooking which is why this recipe came together in 15 minutes. Other dry pasta such as bucatini, spaghetti, linguini or other long pasta could be used.
Pecorino Romano – I used a wedge of Pecorino Romano cheese from Waitrose to grate for this recipe.
Coarsely ground fresh black peppercorn– Fresh and coarsely ground pepper makes a difference to the dish. It completes the cheese and pepper package.
Pasta water – The starchy pasta water when mixed with the cheese makes a creamy sauce that coats the pasta.
How to make cacio e pepe
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt.
Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions or until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, grate pasta in a bowl and ground black peppercorns.
When then pasta is cooked, use a pair of tongs to drain the pasta and place in the bowl of cheese and peppercorns.
Add some pasta water. Mix. Add more pasta water as needed and mix until you have a creamy sauce.
Top with extra cheese and pepper and serve immediately.
How to serve cheese and pepper pasta
Serve the pasta dish immediately.
What to serve with cacio e pepe
This dish is rich and loaded with carbohydrates, best served with a side of salad.
Leftovers and storage
I would normally make enough for a meal when I make cacio e pepe because the sauce does not keep its consistency when stored.
Try more pasta recipes
Lemon pasta with broad beans and broccoli
Broccoli and carrots pasta salad
Watch this short cooking video showing how to put together this pasta dish.
If you make this, please leave a comment and a review to let us know how you liked this recipe.
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Easy Pappardelle Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 200 grams pappardelle or other dry, long pasta
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano grated
- 1 tsp black peppercorns coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup pasta water more as needed
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the papardelle and cook until al dente.
- In a bowl, combine the grated cheese and ground pepper using a spoon.
- Using a pair of tongs, drain the pasta, add it to the bowl of cheese and pepper.
- Scoop pasta water and add to the bowl.
- Toss until the cheese is melted and achieved the consistency of a sauce that is not too thick and not too thin.
- Top with more cheese and pepper then serve immediately.
English