The Cacio e Pepe Recipe Everyone Is Making (3 Ingredients, 15 Minutes) by Donna John
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Cacio e pepe literally means "cheese and pepper." The creamy, delicious Italian pasta dish, which originated in Rome, Italy, is like a simplistic version of our macaroni and cheese. Well, kind of.
Classic cacio e pepe is made with pasta (usually spaghetti noodles), grated Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. That's it! While some cacio e pepe recipes call for cream and butter, it's not really necessary – and this three-ingredient vegetarian cacio e pepe recipe proves that. Italian food lover Pina Bresciani went viral on TikTok with her three-ingredient cacio e pepe recipe. Here's the pasta recipe so you can enjoy it tonight.
To make this creamy three-ingredient, high-protein cacio e pepe you will need spaghetti noodles, whole black peppercorns and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Serve this quick Italian dish for dinner with a salad and garlic bread.
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, ground
- 2 1/2 cups Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
Here's how to make it:
- Cook the spaghetti noodles in salted, boiling water for half of the time stated on the box. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. (Be sure to save the pasta water before draining your pasta!)
- Put 1 1/2 teaspoons of the ground peppercorns into a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute. (Grind the whole black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or use the back of a heavy skillet.)
- Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the skillet and stir. Add the spaghetti noodles and continue to cook, stirring, adding more pasta water as needed, until they are al dente.
- Combine the cheese and about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Mix with a fork until a paste-like consistency forms. (You could use Parmesan cheese, but it doesn't have the same saltiness and flavor as Pecorino Romano, which is traditional in this dish.)
- Remove the pasta from the heat. Stir in the cheese mixture and toss to combine. Continue stirring until it is clump free and creamy. Serve with additional black pepper and cheese. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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