Craving a bowl of Sunday comfort? Or just a bowl of pasta to satisfy your carb cravings?

'Cacio e Pepe' is a staple dish when it comes to comfort food. It’s simple but hard to perfect. No matter how bare your cupboards or fridges are, it just takes 5 ingredients to make this dish.

  Prep Time: 5 mins

      Cook Time: 25 mins

      Total Time: 30 mins

  Ingredients:

1. 500g of Pasta, traditionally Bucatini is used, but if you don’t have access to it you can always use an alternative pasta such as spaghetti or linguine. You can also use gluten-free pasta for a healthier version.
2. 1 cup of each Cheese, a mixture of Pecorino Romano and Parmesan. Note: make sure the cheese is freshly grated and not pre-grated as it will ruin the whole dish. If you can't find Pecorino then double up on the Parmesan. 
3. Cracked Black Pepper
4. 50g of Butter, unsalted
5. A pinch of Salt

 Recipe: (Serves 4) 

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Season with salt. Once water is boiling, add the pasta of choice and cook until al dente (firm to the bite). 
2. Drain the pasta and save 1 cup of pasta cooking water. 
3. Grate the Pecorino Romano and Parmesan Cheese, you can mix them in the same bowl. Save some aside for serving. 
4. In a large saucepan, melt 50g of diced butter, 1 cup of pasta cooking water, 1/4 of the grated cheese and black pepper until you get a saucy and creamy texture.
   Pro Tip: Don't keep the cheese on high heat for too long so you don't end up with clumps of cheese.
5. Reduce the heat to low and add the pasta. Stir until the sauce is mixed well with the pasta. Note: if you feel the pasta is too dry, add more of the pasta water.
6. Once you get the right consistency for the sauce, add the rest of the grated cheese and stir until melted.
   Pro tip: to check if it's the right consistency, dip a spoon in the sauce and run your finger across. If you end up with a clean line then it's ready!
7. Serve the Cacio e Pepe immediately to make sure it’s eaten hot. Top it off with extra grated cheese and black pepper if you want to add more of a spicy kick.
   
   
   Voila,
   

Tastes better than it looks! 

via GIPHY

For a video inspo check out:

https://www.delish.com/uk/cooking/recipes/a30252529/cacio-e-pepe-recipe/

Maarya Alireza

Instagram: @newyorkcraves