A simple cheese and pepper pasta. With a super fancy name.
I guess this recipe is actually called Cacio e Pepe, a name that I can’t say without laughing. It roughly translates to cheese and pepper pasta, which sounds a lot more appetizing (to me at least) than Cacka and peepee or however you pronounce it.
The pasta is literally made with cheese and cracked pepper. Simple enough right? Traditionally it calls for Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. But since I am poor and primarily shop at Aldi, I substituted asiago for Pecorino Romano (but I was able to get Parmigiano-Reggiano). If you find it hard to find either of the traditional cheeses, I’d recommend using fresh grated parmesan (not the pre-powdered stuff) and fresh grated asiago for an alternatively delicious cheese and pepper pasta dish.
Time You Need
- ~20-25 minutes
- Yields: 3-4 servings
What You Need
- 7-8 oz of angel hair pasta
- 1 cup of grated asiago (+ extra for topping pasta after)
- 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp butter
- 2 minced cloves garlic
- ~1 cup of water
What You Do
- In a large pot, bring ~3 quarts of liberally salted water to a boil. Add angel hair pasta and cook, stirring occasionally.
- Cook pasta to just about 2 minutes before the box instructions tell you it’s al dente (so around ~7-8 minutes cooking time). Simultaneously, you also want to work on the cheese sauce while pasta is cooking.
- In a separate saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. Cook pepper for 1-2 minutes, then
add a cup of water. - Gradually add in both cups of asiago and Parmigiano-Reggiano, whisking to form a cheese sauce (Add more water if sauce becomes too thick).
- Once all cheese is added, remove from heat.
- If you haven’t done already, drain the cooked pasta and return to pot.
- Then pour cheese sauce over the pasta, and mix to coat evenly.
- Serve right away and enjoy!