Cacio e pepe simply means cheese and pepper in Italian. It is a a dish that hails from Rome and is something you will find on almost every menu in the city. It is super creamy and satisfying, although there is no cream in it! It is the perfect dish to make if you can’t be bothered to make a big fancy meal in the middle of the week or even something for a dinner party that will seem like you put a lot of effort into it. The best part is the sauce basically makes itself, and you don’t have to worry about getting lots of pots and pans dirty.
There are three ingredients to cacio e pepe and they are as follows: pasta, pecorino romano, and pasta water. The pecorino romano gets grated right into your serving bowl. Pull out a cup or so of the pasta water, which has salt and starch, and pour it into the bowl with the cheese. Whisk it until it’s smooth and creamy and that’s your sauce! Then, put the pasta right into the bowl. Swirl the pasta around so it’s completely covered by the sauce, and then season with as much black pepper as you like.
