Dinner · 25 min · italian

Cacio e Pepe

Dinner decisions, handled: Cacio e Pepe pairs tonnarelli or spaghetti with pecorino romano for a 25-minute Italian dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Tonnarelli or spaghetti
• 2 cups Pecorino Romano
• 2 tbsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Crack the black pepper coarsely and toast it in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until it smells sharp and warm. Dry heat wakes up the bite that the whole dish hangs on.
2. Boil the pasta in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Before draining, scoop out 2 full cups of the cloudy pasta water — that starch is your sauce.
3. Tip the drained pasta into the skillet with the pepper and take the pan off the heat. A screaming-hot pan turns cheese into glue, so let it cool a breath first.
4. Shower over half the pecorino and toss hard, splashing in hot pasta water a little at a time. Keep tossing until the cheese melts into a glossy cream that coats every strand.
5. Add the remaining pecorino and toss again, loosening with more pasta water until the sauce looks silky, not stringy.
6. Serve at once in warm bowls with extra pecorino and pepper ground over the top.

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