You’re only four ingredients and less than 25 minutes away from this easy, creamy recipe for Cacio e Pepe Pasta.
What the forms say: W-2, 1099, IT-201, W-9, 1040.
What I read: KFC, BLT, M&Ms, CPK, PB&J.
There may not be crying in baseball, but there is without a doubt crying in taxes. I’ve never been big on “math,” so every year when tax season rolls around, you better believe there is a flurry of emails to my accountant with a lot of of who-what-when-where-and-how’s.
Cooking, and let’s be honest, eating for a living, leads to a whole lot-o-food bills. So every April I take a long, hard look at my grocery receipts and restaurant bills and decide that next year, I’ll dial it back.
So here’s my first attempt: noodles, butter, cheese and pepper; a.k.a. Cacio e Pepe Pasta.
This recipe is my go-to budget-friendly, big-flavored favorite that’s not so great for the skinny jeans but unbeatable for the wallet. My sister first introduced me to this dish during dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago, Davanti Enoteca. One taste, and I, nor my food budget, have ever looked back.
Tune in to the video below to see me whip up this quick and cost-conscious favorite!
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Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, small diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely grated black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the spaghetti and cook it until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Return the pasta to the pot. Add the grated cheese, butter, black pepper and roughly ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the pot, stirring until combined. If necessary, add more pasta water to thin out the cheese and butter until the spaghetti is well coated.
Kelly's Notes:
- I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to reserve a portion of the pasta water when draining the spaghetti. The starchy water is critical to the consistency of the sauce, so while hot water will work in a pinch, avoid forgetting this step!
- The cheese must be grated, rather than shredded, as the shredded consistency has the tendency to clump together when added to the pot.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Hi Kelly
In watching “Chef John’s” video on making pesto in a mortar and pestle, he mentioned something that makes a lot of sense. Recipes often call for cheese in measures of cups, as yours does for 1-1/2 cups of cheese. He said the amount of cheese can vary GREATLY by how it’s measured in the cup, i.e., packed down, very lightly, etc., and that really made sense. He said that he always gives measurements in grams (weight).
So, as I was looking for something to cook for my gf and I tonight, I happened to pick out this recipe and wondered how much in weight a 1-1/2 cups of cheese would really be. Or doesn’t it really matter that much in this dish?
Hi Dave! That’s a great point. It would be between 4 and 6 oz. of cheese (before grating). Hope that helps!
This is the best Cacio e pepe recipe I have found! I’ve tried several to get it right and this is now my go to. The secret I think is the grating of the cheese… genius! I have made this several times, always with whole wheat linguine and it’s a family favorite. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You are so welcome, Tracy! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Oh my. So easy, even more delicious.
I chose Cellentani pasta instead of spaghetti. Scrumptious!! We even roasted broccoli separately and tossed some in for variation. My kids were happy to eat veggies tossed into this incredible pasta meal. We’ll be eating this again SOON. Thank you!!!
Love this, Lori! I’m thrilled you are your family enjoyed the recipe!
Do you believe it’s critical to include the pepper? I have some rather picky eaters in my house. This recipe sounds delightful!
Feel free to leave it out, Kim! It will still be delicious :)
So easy DNA good. Love this recipe!
Delicious!! NO need to change anything.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Bevy!
Delicious! Even my hard to impress little ones kept saying how good it was. It was the perfect side to grilled chicken. I will be making this again. Thank you so much!
Awesome! Thrilled to hear this, Naomi!