Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

 

This spaghetti cacio e pepe recipe has been made in our family for many years, and everyone loves it. It is a very basic and easy variation on mac and cheese.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 ¾ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain spaghetti.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic and pepper in hot oil until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cooked spaghetti and Pecorino Romano cheese. Ladle in 1/2 cup reserved cooking water; stir until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Stir in more cooking water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce coats spaghetti, about 1 minute more.

Tips

You can substitute butter for olive oil.

Adjust the amount of cooking water added in step 2 for a thicker or thinner sauce. If you add too much water, add some more cheese.

I add flavor-enhancing ingredients — like pancetta — to this recipe depending on my main dish; I always experiment when creating food.