Cacio e Pepe is literally cheese and pepper and that’s all that’s in this. It’s hard to tell from the picture but basically you use a bit of the pasta water to melt the cheese in to a sauce that coats the pasta. This absolutely simple and stunning dish is the perfect crowd pleaser that involves little work. Simply perfect.
Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper)
Bring water to boil for pasta, add about half the salt you normally would to cook pasta and book for 5 minutes.
At the 5 minute mark place a serving bowl on top of the boiling pot to warm it.
When the pasta is al dente remove bowl and pot from heat, drain pasta but reserve about a cup of pasta water for the sauce.
Transfer the pasta to the heated bowl, add cheese and a small amount of the reserved water to the pasta and toss to coat adding water or cheese as needed until creamy.
Top with fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.