By: Merritt Allen

Cacio e Pepe was always an intimidating dish for me. Being able to get the smooth and glossy cheese sauce to perfectly coat the noodles seemed difficult if not executed correctly. After making this dish many times, and trying different methods of getting that delicious cheese sauce to coat the noodles, I have a new favorite pasta dish that goes great every time.

Cacio e Pepe is synonymous with comfort, in my opinion, and can turn any bad day around, especially since it is made from 3 primary ingredients: cheese, pepper, and noodles. This recipes makes Cacio e pepe with crispy fried garlic since it has great flavor and adds a unique twist to this dish.

Cacio e Pepe is a traditional Italian dish that combines Pecorino Romano cheese with noodles, pasta water, and black pepper. I choose to add in some parmesan cheese as well since Pecorino can be a strong flavor. This Italian dish is incredible, super easy to make, and overall very delicious. I hope you give it a try today!

Notes and Tips to Make The Best Cacio e Pepe?

• To have really good cacio e pepe you want some good pecorino Romano. Pecorino Romano is a salty sheep’s milk cheese that comes in bricks or already shredded in a tub. I recommend buying the brick of cheese and freshly grating it at home. It will make it fluffy and easy to melt.

• Fresh pasta versus dried pasta are both good options for this dish. Dried pasta does take longer to cook compared to fresh pasta, so if you are trying to get dinner on the table quick, consider fresh pasta. Fresh pasta may also yield a starchier pasta water since the noodles are often dusted with flour. This means you may need a little extra pasta water but your cheese sauce will be delicious creamy.

• Either fresh or dried, using a Bucatini, which is a hollow noodle, or regular spaghetti noodles are my preferred pasta shapes for this dish. They both take on the flavors and the sauce really well. That being said, Cacio e Pepe can work with most noodles, especially ones that have slight texture that can hold the sauce. Let me know which one you choose in the comments below!

What Is Cacio e Pepe in Italian Mean?

• Cacio e Pepe means cheese and pepper pasta. It might sound simple in theory but complexity is introduced through the emulsification of cheese and water. It is best to use freshly ground black pepper corns, which will have a brighter flavor than fine pre-ground pepper. The city of origin is Rome, where traditionally the dish was only Pecorino Romano, noodles, and black pepper.

How Do You Serve Cacio e Pepe?

• Serving Cacio e Pepe fresh and straight off the skillet is best. This does not give the cheese sauce any time to clump or dry out.

• I always serve with a grating of pecorino Romano and Parmesan to seal the deal on the ultimate comfort meal. If you are looking to make this meal truly indulgent, you can add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet when the sauce is nearly coated all your noodles for an extra bit of goodness.

What Does Cacio e Pepe Go With?

• Cacio e Pepe with Fried garlic is definitely a stand out meal that requires very little served with it. That being said, I always like to pair my meals with a vegetable and maybe a little dessert. Below are some pairings for just that. Let me know which one you choose in the comments below!

• Toasted Chickpea Salad is a super healthy salad that is hearty and is a great way to add some good vegetables in during your week. It would be the perfect pairing to pasta!

• Lemon Dill Chicken is a light and lemon chicken dish that would pair great with the comforting and cheesy nature of Cacio e Pepe. The fried garlic would compliment the chicken very well.

• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies are always my preferred way to end a delicious meal.

Instructions:

1. Fry the Garlic:

1. Peel your garlic, light chop the garlic so you have larger pieces that will not burn quickly.

2. To a medium skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat.

3. Throw in a test piece of garlic and once bubbling and lightly sizzling, add the other garlic and a pinch of salt.

4. Continuously the garlic until it is golden brown on all sides, about 12 minutes depending on size.

5. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool.

2. Cook the Cacio e Pepe

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the dried pasta and 2 tsp of fine salt to the water. Make sure the noodles are all covered in water and then cook to Aldente, about 10 minutes, but check package instructions.

2. When the pasta is about 2 minutes from being Aldente, set the medium skillet used to fry the garlic back over the heat.

3. Remove the pasta from the pasta water, setting aside about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

4. Add the pasta to the skillet along with all of the Pecorino Romano and some of your pasta water.

5. Turn the heat off the skillet.

6. Stir continuously stir to begin emulsifying the cheese and the pasta water.

7. Add in half of the parmesan and more pasta water and continue to toss and stir until a nice glossy cheese sauce has formed.

8. Add in the fresh ground pepper and the rest of the parmesan. Give it one final stir and enjoy!