Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese (grated on the smallest holes of a box grater)
½ pound bucatini
1 tablespoon salt
ground black pepper (about 1 to 2 teaspoons – to taste)
additional grated Pecorino Romano (for serving)
Directions
Boil the bucatini in 4 to 5 cups of salted water. (We like to add about a tablespoon of sea salt or table salt.) If necessary, gently bend the pasta so that it’s completely submerged. Cook per instructions on the pasta box.
Heat a 10-12″ pan to medium about 4 minutes before the pasta is ready.
Just before removing the cooked pasta, transfer 3 to 4 ladles of pasta water (about 1.5 cups) into the finishing pan.
Use tongs to transfer the pasta to the finishing pan. If you choose to use a colander to drain the pasta first, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
Mix the bucatini with the starchy pasta water until the a starchy liquid forms. Remove from heat.
Add the Pecorino Romano and mix until the sauce is creamy.
Once the pasta and sauce are done, mix in a generous amount of ground black pepper to taste.
Grate additional Pecorino Romano on the top of the pasta as desired.