Cacio E Pepe

Submitted by CookingONTheSide

"This pasta makes a great side dish. Recipe is from Rachael Ray. This recipe is best made with freshly grated romano cheese. Be sure to use the pepper - it is a main ingredient! This makes a great side dish for "Recipe#358772"."

 

• Ready In: 15mins
• Ingredients: 3
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 lb acini de pepe-shaped pasta or 1 lb your favorite small shell pasta
• 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
• 1 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
2. When the water is boiling, add some salt and drop the pasta.
3. Cook to al dente, according to package directions. (Heads up: reserve a ladle or two of the cooking water for the sauce right before you drain the pasta.).
4. When the pasta is ready, pour the reserved starchy cooking water in a medium-size bowl.
5. Drain the pasta and toss it in the bowl with the pepper.
6. Add in the cheese in small handfuls, sprinkling it over the hot pasta then tossing it with tongs, until all the cheese is incorporated to make a creamy sauce.
7. Season the pasta to taste with salt if necessary.

Reviews

[spooty3]

I've made this twice now, by the book (using 1 T. of sea salt in the pasta water). This was the first time I'd cooked either acini di pepe, or pecorino romano (which I freshly grated from some wedges I bought). It is quite tasty - very peppery, and kind of pushing it on that score, but not too much in my book. Leftovers the next day reheated and tasted just fine, except that the small amount of sauce had been absorbed into the pasta, so this is best to eat right away. Overall, this is a nice, simple, flavorful dish. Thanks!

 

[bmcnichol]

I followed the recipe as written but this had way to much pepper in it for me. I am a whimp when it comes to pepper! Next time I would cut the pepper way back.

 

[Hill Family]

I used the ingredients this called for but not the amounts. I used half a box of acini de pepe, a bit of the cooking water. Then I just added cheese and pepper till it tasted right. Alone it is just ok but paired with other food (BBQ Chicken) it really brought out the flavor of the cheese. DH said this is odd but good - I agree.