Cacio e Pepe

4.93 from 14 votes

Cacio e Pepe is a mouthwatering pasta dish that uses four ingredients, comes together in twenty minutes, and feeds your entire household. Before you know it, you'll be yelling "Dinner's ready!"

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Total Cost: $3.20 recipe /$0.80 serving

Servings:

Author: Monti Carlo

Ingredients

3/4 tsp salt $0.02
1/2 lb dry spaghetti* $0.59
4 Tbsp salted butter, divided** $0.50
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper plus more for garnish*** $0.17
1 cup Parmesan, grated, plus more for garnish**** $1.75

Instructions

In a large skillet bring 6 cups of water and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the dry spaghetti and cook for two minutes less than the package directions call for.
Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the spaghetti. Place the spaghetti in a bowl and set it close to the stove to keep it warm.
In the same pan you cooked the spaghetti, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the black pepper over medium heat. Cook until fragrant.
Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan and stir until a glossy sauce forms.
Turn the heat down to low and add the spaghetti to the pan. Top with the grated parmesan and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Use tongs to quickly mix the parmesan, butter, spaghetti, and pepper sauce until a creamy sauce forms. Serve immediately and garnish with additional pepper and parmesan cheese.

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Notes

*I like to use a long noodle-shaped pasta with some texture and toothiness so the sauce can cling to it without overpowering it. While tonnarelli is the traditional pasta used in this recipe, spaghetti or bucatini works just as great. Steer clear of linguine and angel hair, which will fall apart quickly and become a gummy mess.

**If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the sauce.

***If using finely ground black pepper (like the kind that comes pre-ground), use 1/2 teaspoon.

****Try to use fresh parmesan, which will actually melt. If you use the powdery stuff in the green bottle, it will leave you with a grainy sauce.

Nutrition