Brown Butter Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe has been popping up everywhere it seems the last year or so, and for good reason. It can be made start to finish in just about the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta. What you save on time, you don’t miss out on in flavor, though. This brown butter version is even more so that way. 

It will seem like you are adding A LOT of pepper, and you are, but the spice is a nice counterpart to the richness of the cheese and butter. Start with a little less pepper if you are nervous about the spice from all the pepper, but, keep in mind the ground black pepper should be the star of the dish. 

Brown Butter Cacio e Pepe

 

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Cook time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried bucatini or thick spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish, if desired
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish, if desired
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup pasta water.
2. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet over medium heat, toast freshly ground black pepper until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add butter to the pan, and cook, whisking frequently, until butter starts to brown and becomes very fragrant and nutty. Turn off heat. Add olive oil and set aside.
3. Add drained pasta into the skillet with the brown butter pepper sauce, tossing to combine. Add reserved pasta water and cheese, tossing until well incorporated. Garnish with a little extra grated cheese and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted fromTasting Table

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