What could be more simple than pasta with cheese and black pepper aka Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe? Not much.  The simple combination of pasta, fresh grated Pecorino Romano,  ground black pepper, and pasta water really is an example of the whole being greater than the sum of all the parts.

Ingredients:
1 pound dried spaghetti
4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese,
1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1.5 – 2 cups  pasta cooking water

Directions:

Grate the cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook spaghetti in well-salted water to just short of al dente in a large pot.

While pasta is cooking,  I put together a quick salad, romaine, sweet mini peppers, carrot, kalamata olives. Pretty, isn’t it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drain spaghetti, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry out the pot, then heat the olive oil over high heat hot but not smoking.

Add drained spaghetti and 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Be Careful! This will spatter and spit!

Add butter, 3 ounces cheese and ground pepper and toss together with tongs. It will come together and become a creamy sauce, hopefully coating each strand of pasta.

Taste, adding more pasta water, cheese, pepper to taste. You don’t need salt, the cheese is quite salty already.

Serve immediately, sprinkling with reserved cheese and extra black pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s creamy with a little bite, simply delicious!

Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!