If you’ve seen the movie Chef and drooled as the main character fixed a simple pasta dish for Scarlett Johansson that made her go all swoony and moony for him, you’ll enjoy making—and devouring—this very similar recipe.
In the movie Chef, the main character swirls up, literally, a pasta dish in a sauté pan that looks to be little more than pasta on a plate. One wonders, “What is he feeding her to produce that ‘ahhhhh’ moment of the whole closed eye and look of sheer pleasure on her face if it’s just pasta?”
But it’s really a pasta dish with simple ingredients called Aglio e Olio—which literally means “olive oil and garlic.” See, in Italy, they don’t even add the word pasta to dishes like these. The presence of pasta is just understood, which is why this traditional Italian pasta dish is called simply Cacio e Pepe which means “cheese and black pepper.” In this dish, black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese bring a world of flavor to your perfectly cooked pasta (which will be perfectly cooked, you know, if we have anything to do with it!).
So, this dish is similar to the one he prepares for her, but with even more delicious ingredients. You may not get to lie in bed with a mega-watt star like Scarlett Johansson after you dine on this (like he does), but making this will certainly make you the star of the show in your home.
Making the Most Delicious Cacio e Pepe
Americans are notorious for drowning things in rich, luxuriant, meaty red sauce. But in Italy, Italians like the pasta to be more the star of the show, and they’re very choosy about the pastas they use for their dishes for that reason. In fact, you might try a good Italian brand of spaghetti for this, like De Cecco or Rummo, if you’d like to try an Italian pasta brand available at most grocers.
If you want to create an ultra-delicious Cacio e Pepe, I also recommend one thing—get a wedge of Romano cheese and grate it over the dish yourself. This brings a ton of flavor to the dish and your Romano cheese will last a lot longer and be a lot more wholesome as well. I’m never without a wedge of Parmesan or Romano cheese. I love both of these for the salty, rich flavor of sharp, white cheese they bring to a long list of dishes and salads and as toppings for buttery garlic bread.
And if you want a fast-dinner fix, you cannot beat this one. While your water is coming to a boil for your pasta, grate your cheese, perhaps. While your spaghetti is boiling, get out the salad you prepared earlier (suggested below) and toast up a baguette or a loaf of French bread under the broiler. Perhaps you can pull it out to slather it with butter halfway through cooking and pop it back in. You can also get your dessert out and get it all ready for service (also suggested below). By then, your spaghetti has boiled a whole 9 minutes, and you’re ready for steps 3, 4, and 5, 6, and EATING IT.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Cacio e Pepe is a dish that is best served and eaten as soon as possible. Pasta dishes like these don’t freeze well, but you may refrigerate the leftovers. I recommend doing that with plastic baggies splashed with olive oil to keep the pasta moist.
Serving Suggestions
This would be fantastic with this lovely Peach, Pecan and Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. It is one elegant, delicious salad with champagne vinegar and citrus vinaigrette that is simply sublime. The nuts and bitter green arugula provide a perfect complement to this meal, along with some garlic bread. Also, perhaps, serve this dish with some wine for the adults and milk for the kids. Lastly, this Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake would complement this perfectly, as would this easier Ice Cream Sandwich Cake. If you like this recipe, try this fast pasta fix next time: One Pot Loaded Veggie Pasta. It’s scrumptious.
Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 pound spaghetti
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the spaghetti. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 9 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the black pepper and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoons of pasta water to the skillet with the pepper, then add the butter. Stir until the butter melts and the sauce is creamy.
- Drain the spaghetti and add it to the skillet. Toss with the sauce to coat.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and toss until the cheese melts and the sauce coats the spaghetti evenly.
- Serve immediately, topped with additional grated cheese and black pepper to taste.
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