Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe - Buddy Bites Kitchen

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti

→ Cheese & Spices

02 - 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

03 - 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra for serving

→ Others

04 - Salt, for pasta water

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

02 - In a large skillet over low heat, toast the black pepper for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

03 - Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to the skillet with the toasted pepper and let it simmer.

04 - Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat evenly in the pepper-infused water.

05 - Gradually sprinkle in the Pecorino Romano cheese, tossing and stirring vigorously until the cheese melts and a creamy sauce forms. Add more reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a smooth, silky texture.

06 - Plate immediately and garnish with additional Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Additional Tips::

01 -

Four simple ingredients transform into something that tastes like you've been cooking for hours.
It's faster than ordering takeout and somehow more satisfying than anything fancier.
Once you nail it, you'll make it on tired weeknights when you need comfort that actually nourishes.

02 -

Temperature control is everything—if your heat is too high, the cheese will scramble into little bits instead of melting into sauce; low and slow is not negotiable.
That pasta water with its starch is not extra; it's essential for creating the creamy emulsion that makes this dish special, so guard it like treasure.
Timing means you should have everything ready before the pasta finishes cooking because once you start combining, you're in a race against the clock and cooling pasta.

03 -