Cacio e Pepe Black Pepper Pasta

Cacio-e-Pepe-pexels-photo-7474121

Ingredients:

  • Dried bucatini (or any other long pasta)
  • 5 oz parmesan cheese
  • 1 oz pecorino 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp dark chili pepper
  • 2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Boil water in a large pot and season with a pinch of salt.

2. Add your pasta and cook for about 9 minutes until al dente.

3. Separate your pasta from your water and reserve your pasta water.

4. Melt the butter in a large nonstick saute pan on high heat until bubbling. 

5. Add the ground pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

6. Add about 2 ΒΌ cups of the pasta water to the butter and pepper mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer the mixture for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened with a soft texture.

7. Add the pasta and stir into the sauce. 

8. Finely grate the parmesan cheese and stir into the pasta until it is melted. 

9. Repeat this step with the pecorino cheese.

10. Keep stirring until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and silky.

11. Season to taste with salt, fresh ground pepper, chili pepper, and olive oil. Enjoy with Ramato.

  • Recipe by Jason Woodbury

Photo by Valeria Boltneva from Pexels