One-Pan Cacio e Pepe
This classic Roman dish has a cult following for a reason! It uses just three ingredients; pasta, imported Pecorino Romano cheese, and pepper to create a creamy, luscious and amazingly flavorful cheese sauce that beautifully coats thick cut bucatini. My easy, speedy, one pan version cleverly uses the starch from the pasta cooking water to ensure thick and luxurious results!
Ingredients
- 1 tsp peppercorns additional ground pepper for garnish
- 8 oz bucatini pasta or thick cut spaghetti
- 1 cup fresh finely grated, imported Pecorino Romano cheese, additional for garnish
Instructions
- Place peppercorns in a large 12” saute pan and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes to toast. Remove from pan and coarsely grind (in a spice grinder, peppermill, mortar and pestle, or with the side of your knife). Reserve coarse ground peppercorns.
- Place pasta in the same pan, cook pasta in 4-5 cups, or just enough to cover the pasta and add a large pinch of salt. Cook on high heat to bring to a boil and stir pasta often with tongs to avoid sticking. Cook for 2 minutes less than package instructions. Use tongs to remove pasta to a bowl and let pasta cooking water continue to boil for 2-3 minutes to reduce.
- Place grated imported Pecorino Romano cheese in a glass or metal bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup hot pasta water to create a thick creamy paste. Return pasta to water and stir with tongs. Remove from the heat. Add cheese mixture and ground pepper to the pan and toss continually with tongs for 1 minute to create a thick creamy sauce that coats the al dente pasta. Season to taste with salt.
- Garnish with additional imported Pecorino Romano and fresh ground pepper and serve at once.
