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Angel Hair Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Angel Hair Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Angel Hair Cacio e Pepe

by Adrianna Adarme on Apr 7, 2016

This Italian recipe is simple to throw together featuring a cheese sauce with light pepper. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes).
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Servings
6 servings
Course
Entree

Tags

Italian Family Friendly Quick and Easy
Vegetarian

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried angel hair pasta
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of freshly ground pepper
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup to ¾ cup reserved pasta water
  • ½ cup to ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook just shy of al dente. Reserving 3/4 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta in a colander and set both aside.
  2. In the empty pot you cooked the pasta, set over medium heat, melt the butter and pour in the olive oil and 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir in the 1/2 cup of Parmesan or Pecorino until the cheese has melted and the sauce has started to come together. Add the reserve pasta and toss until it’s evenly coated. Continue to gently stir until the clumpy cheese has melted. If the pasta is slightly dry, add a few more splashes of pasta water until it’s moist and sauce-y throughout. Serve immediately with more cheese on top and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper.

My mom always made me butter and cheese pasta growing up. It was her emergency type meal, the thing she could throw together with three ingredients and in 15 minutes flat. This Angel Hair Cacio e Pepe is the Roman extension of that idea.

Cacio e Pepe is my go-to, I-have-nothing-to-eat-and-not-a-lot-of-food meal. I always, always have Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino in the fridge and black pepper and pasta in the pantry. It's so simple to throw together, yet it does require a bit of understanding what you're going after. You want the cheese to be smooth and saucy. The pasta water is reserved which has quite a bit of starch in it, which results in a beautiful sauce. The black pepper works perfectly with the salty parmesan. The end result should be a peppery, salty, carb heaven situation.

This angel hair iteration is my current favorite because I love the thin strands of al dente pasta.

If you're ever in a bind and need something quick fast and delicious, this is it!

Photo of Adrianna Adarme

About the Author
Adrianna Adarme

Adrianna Adarme is an author, enthusiastic home cook and food blogger who lives in Los Angeles, California. In 2009 she started her blog, A Cozy Kitchen, which has become a place people visit to hear entertaining anecdotes about daily life and to find delicious, comforting recipes from Adrianna's kitchen. A Cozy Kitchen has garnered attention from various publications and blogs, including features and write-ups from The Los Angeles Times, Refinery29, Saveur Magazine, Oh Joy, Rachel Zoe's Zoe Report and NBC Latino.

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Entree

Spring Veggie Fettuccine Alfredo

For a fresh tasting pasta, blanch your vegetables before. It'll ensure that this veggie fettuccine alfredo tastes like spring. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes Blog).

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