Pasta cacio e pepe

Pasta cacio e pepe

This dish comes in handy when you return home from a vacation to a practically empty fridge and suddenly realize that the next day is a public holiday. (Don't ask why I know this. ;) ) But even when your pantry is well stocked it is definitely worth making.

Pasta cacio e pepe

Adapted from Spaghetti cacio e pepe by Anke Gröner

Ingredients:

250 g pasta
about 10 black pepper corns plus black pepper in a mill
olive oil
a generous half cup of grated pecorino or parmesan

Method:

Cook the pasta according to manufacturers' instruction.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a skillet and add the pepper corns. Fry the pepper for a minute or two until fragrant. Remove the pepper from the skillet and grind up in a mortar.

When the pasta is done, remove it from the water using tongs and transfer to the skillet. Add the cheese, the ground pepper and one or two ladles of cooking water. Toss until well combined. Add some more pepper from the mill, if necessary and serve immediately.