Cacio e Pepe
You need to save this recipe for the next time you have not much time and not much in the cupboards…
Cacio e Pepe is probably my favourite pasta dish of all time and definitely the easiest one to make. How can something so simple be so good?! It’s literally pasta, cheese, butter and a load of pepper. THAT IS GENUINELY IT. I’ve also been known to make this post-night out when I’m a dishevelled mess and only pasta will fix it. That shows just how easy it is to make if I can produce a restaurant quality dish after a few voddy cokes.
When making Cacio e Pepe, grate your Parmesan as fine as you can, use a microplane if you have one as the finer the cheese is, the more easily it integrates into the pasta and you avoid clumpy bits. When making your sauce, don’t have the pan too hot as this can cause the ingredients to break up and not blend into that beautiful creamy sauce properly. Also, fresh black pepper is always amazing to add, but any black pepper you own will work!
It’s a budget friendly dish that is filling and really quick to whip up. Make it a new weeknight staple. I also want to know what ingredients you always have left in the cupboards? I want to share more budget friendly recipes that make the most of what you have. Do you have a tin of mixed beans or maybe a packet of quinoa looking all sad because it never gets picked? If so, lemme know and I’ll share some tips/recipes.
For more easy peasy pasta recipes, check out my garlic, lemon and chilli pasta with burrata or garlic and bacon spaghetti. Both ridiculously simple and get you away from relying on pre-prepared sauces.
Ingredients
- Around 100g Parmesan or more (measure with your heart on that one haha)
- 50g butter
- Plenty of black pepper
- 1/2 a pack of pasta, spaghetti works really well
- Salt to season
Method
- Get your water on to boil and heavily season with salt. You want it to taste like the sea.
- Finely grate your cheese.
- Boil your pasta until al dente, around 10-12 minutes. Or follow the packet instructions.
- Get a mug full of pasta water before you drain the pasta. This is essential to making the sauce so don’t forget!!
- Drain your pasta. Did you remember to keep the pasta water?
- In your pan on a medium heat, add the butter, then the pasta, cheese and a 1/3 of your saved pasta water. Season heavily with cracked black pepper and mix until the butter has melted, the cheese has become stringy and the sauce has thickened. If you need more water just add as and when.
- Serve up with an extra sprinkle of cheese and get ready to be happy and full. Oh also, if you have pecorino cheese put some of that in too! Enjoy!