one-skillet cacio e pepe rigatoni
A foolproof recipe for cacio e pepe rigatoni that uses a blend of pecorino romano and parmesan cheeses. And did I mention you only need one skillet? ONE SKILLET!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 8 oz rigatoni
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (fresh and finely grated)
- ½ cup pecorino romano cheese (fresh and finely grated)
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat. As soon as butter is fully melted, add pepper, and cook until quite fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Add the water, then the pasta and the salt. You may need slightly less or slightly more than 3 cups of water, depending on the size of your skillet — just enough to barely cover the pasta. It's okay if bits of pasta are poking above the water, as long as most of the pasta is covered.
- Crank the heat to high. As soon as the water starts boiling, set a timer for the "al dente" cooking duration on the pasta box. Stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. The water will bubble vigorously and there will be lots of steam as the water absorbs into the pasta and evaporates simultaneously. Just keep stirring. Add a splash more water if needed, but try to resist — trust the process.
- When there's about 2 minutes left on your timer, start adding the cheese about ⅓ cup at a time. Stir constantly to keep the pasta and cheese from clumping on the bottom of the pan. When the timer is up, test a noodle to make sure it's done. If the noodles aren't done, cook for another minute or so stirring constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring off heat until all the cheese has melted and formed a glossy, shiny sauce that clings and evenly coats the noodles.
- Serve immediately.
Video
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