Easy Cacio e Pepe
One of the easiest and most satisfying super-fast meals on this site. Cacio e Pepe is the epitome of carby comfort food, and it's the perfect thing to sit down to at the end of a long day, when you just don't want to cook, but don't want to surrender to fast food.
Servings 4
Calories 372kcal
Ingredients
- 5 ounces finely grated cheese (I use a combo of Pecorino Romano and Parmesano Reggiano)
- 14 ounces dried spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- salt
Instructions
- Bring 6 cups of a water to boil in a large pot. Salt generously and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, per package directions (about 8-10 minutes).
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot.
- In a medium bowl, slowly whisk 1 cup of the pasta water into the grated cheese. Add the cream, oil and pepper, whisking thoroughly. Slowly pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, tossing to coat.
- Let rest for several minutes — the sauce will thicken and better coat the noodles. If too thick, add the remaining pasta water a bit at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
Notes
To save time, grate the cheese while the pasta cooks, rather than prepping ahead of time.
Not to sound all Ina Garten, but this dish screams for high-quality aged cheese — buy the best you reasonably afford.
For a slightly lighter dish, use half and half instead of heavy cream. Either way, do note that this is in no way health spaghetti.
Not all black pepper is the same. If your pepper runs on the hot side, use a bit less than 1 teaspoon. If more mild, or if you adore black pepper, add an extra half teaspoon.
Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal