Cacio e Pepe by Chef Rachael Afra

Cacio e Pepe

Prep Time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins Yields: 4-6 servings

This recipe is magic, the water, the pasta, the cheese, with the small toasted peppery bits bringing it all together. I love the textures of this dish, I actually love it with mushrooms, and I came into these beauties. Try them at your local mushroom shop, or farmer's market stand. 

Ingredients:

8oz. spaghetti

8 oz. cordyceps or any mushrooms

2T. butter, cut in half and separate

1T. extra-virgin olive oil 

Coarse ground black pepper

1 c. grated pecorino cheese

1c. pasta water reserved

Preparation:

1. Wash mushrooms, the cordyceps will naturally lose their color. 2. Dry your mushrooms on a clean paper towel, or they can be left in a colander. 3. Follow the instructions on your packaged pasta and cook till al dente. 4. Keep reserved pasta water to the side and drain the pasta. 5. In a saute pan, add butter one tablespoon at a time, and add your mushrooms. They will start to get soft, and the color will start to appear more. 6. Add your last 1 tablespoon of butter, and olive oil, and add your pasta.7. Add pasta water, and the cheese, and stir the pasta over till all is fully incorporated. 8. Cheese will melt and make an easy sauce, the pasta water has the starch to thicken the sauce. 9. Plate, and add some more cracked pepper and cheese. 

Chef's Note: Make this with love! If you want to know how much to serve each guest, you would weigh out 80grams of dry pasta. That is considered the appropriate amount for any pasta dish since it should be enjoyed more as a side or an appetizer. For the main dish, 100g dry pasta per person, 120g fresh pasta, or 130g gnocchi.