The classic Italian dish of cacio y pepe is made only pasta, pepper, and cheese. As delicious as it is, I wanted to punch it up so you can use this as a base and add in any meat, or seafood, you want! I had some leftover basil-parsley sausage that we barbecued that I wanted to throw in. Maybe you want to add a can of clams or some leftover barbecued chicken (go nuts!). This dish makes a great impression for a date night. It doesn't make a huge mess and comes together quickly (less than 30 minutes!). We love this dish because it is...
Light
Tangy
Tastes fancy 😉
Ingredients
1 box of spaghetti, cooked al dente in salted water
2-3 cups pasta water, reserved from cooking
4 tablespoons grated cheese, Pecorino Romano preferred
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, about 10 leaves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon-ish of peppercorns, for fresh ground pepper
1 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup barbecued sausage (optional but delicious)*
*If you don't use meat, skip the lemon juice and just use the zest
Directions
1. Boil the pasta to al-dente, when the pasta is cooked, take 2-3 cups of pasta water set it aside
2. Add one cup of pasta water at a time to the grated cheese to form a paste, set aside (you may not need all of the water, add more cheese if it is watery)
3. Over medium-high heat, toast the peppercorns alone until aromatic, then load into a pepper mill
4. In the same pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, and a lot of fresh ground pepper that you just toasted (1-2 tablespoons) until the onions begin to caramelize
5. Add lemon zest, juice (if adding meat or if you like a lot of lemon), and basil (sauté 1-2 minutes)
6. Add grated cheese paste and meat (if using) mix to combine evenly
7. Add in pasta and toss to coat evenly
8. Serve immediately with extra fresh ground pepper, grated cheese, and basil!