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Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at

Cacio e pepe

Yesterday, Alex stayed home sick with a cold (the first time in three years!), and he was like a little boy all wrapped up in blankets with a pile of tissues. For dinner, I wanted to make him something warm and bolstering, so I cooked up a Roman dish we'd had on our honeymoon: Cacio e Pepe. You mix together whole-wheat spaghetti, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, a bit of the hot cooking water (to make it gooey), and tons and tons of black pepper. I also added a tiny bit of lemon juice, just 'cause. It was super easy, and I'd highly recommend it. xo

(Photo by Kahakai Kitchen)
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78 comments:

  1. i stayed home sick yesterday too and all i was craving was comfort food. do you deliver? :)

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  2. Anonymous10:11 AM

    another way to bolster cacio e pepe is to add some romano cheese with the parmesean reggiano. (the restaurant lupa in the west village does this and it really makes a difference). i would also poach an egg in the boiling spaghetti water, and once the egg whites are set and the yolk still runny, put the egg over the pasta strands and break the yolk over it. It makes the sauce even better.

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  4. We've made that before and it is wonderfully delicious. Sometimes, we add some scampi-style shrimp too & spinach!

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  5. Mmm sounds delish! Esp the lots of pepper part.

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  6. kate (pm)10:22 AM

    Cacio e pepe is my favorite! I agree with other posters, too. Try adding a little of another cheese, too. My family in Rome has always made it with 3 cheeses. Proportions are to taste. (me, I just use whatever I have at home).

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  7. this dish sounds delicious (especially considering i'm home in bed as well!)

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  8. That sounds divine! I have been living off boxed mac and cheese for too long.

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  9. a bit of lemon juice makes everything that much better.

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  10. oh my goodness! so yummy it makes me hungry right now! hope your sweetie feels better now! xo

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  11. Yum! Sick or not I'm making this tonight!

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  12. I'm a pasta addict. I don't care if it is white or wheat - I love it all. This dish looks so yummy. It is so nice when someone cooks something special for you when you're sick. =)

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  13. So simple and yummy looking! Delicious!

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  14. Mmmmm, sounds yummy. Hope it has Alex on the road to recovery!

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  15. Simple and Yummy! I would add some garlic too to help fight cold! :)

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  16. that sounds so good! we do something almost the same, but with added diced pancetta. yum!

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  17. Real comfort food. I love the idea from anon to poach an egg with it. Will try!

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  18. Looks delicious!!

    xo Laura

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  19. This sounds AMAZING!!! I hope Alex feels better soon!

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  20. This sounds AMAZING!!! I hope Alex feels better soon!

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  21. As an honorary Roman, I thank you. Gourmet magazine, a few years ago, did a good rundown on cacio e pepe. (In one of their special issues.) It's the closest I've had in the States to the real thing (other than here or at a friend's apt.)

    I'm trying to ignore the lemon juice...& someone's pancetta idea. (The eggy one is carbonara without the pancetta or guanciale & onions.) All good but do not, I repeat, do not serve to Italian. They are more delicate than they appear & will freak out & moan & shriek. No end of trouble. You will be apologizing forever. (Trust me on this.)

    So sorry Alex is feeling funky. First time in 3 years is nothing to, um, sneeze at...hope you both keep a watch out for early swinishness. (I am not really kidding. Two friends have two family members--1 child & 1 middle-aged guy just out of hospital...)

    ciao-meow,dahlink

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  22. Yum! I hope Alex feel better!

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  23. i love pasta dishes...you are an amazing cook! thank you so much for sharing your cooking with us! i hope alex feels much better!

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  24. yummy....feel better soon, Alex

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  25. Get Well Hugs from Canada. xo Sounds so yummy. Try Licorice Stash Tea really hot and on the side, ice cold black sambuca- works like a charm on colds...that and Vit. D and C. LPxo

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  26. I hope Alex is feeling better soon! I've made this dish with an egg - a bit of protein thrown in.

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  27. mmm...that looks like my kind of meal.

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  28. i love super simple pasta dishes that don't make you feel like a blimp after you eat them...storing this one in my recipe file for sure!

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  29. Mmm...simple and delicious recipes are the best! Hope Alex feels better!

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  30. This looks heavenly. I need it right now. And yes, it's not even 9:00am. :)

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  31. Oh yum that looks so delish!

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  32. This looks amazing, and perfect to warm up a cold belly.

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  33. oooh, adding a poached egg sounds so good. and emily and hatsandfeathers, hope you're feeling much better!!

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  34. That's making my mouth water and it's only 9:30 in the morning!

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  35. one of my favorite meals!!!!

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  36. I'm wishing I would get a cold now so I could stay home and make comfort food and be swaddled! yes please

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  37. anything with lemon and pepper is such a comforting food for me.

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  38. looks easy and delicious!

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  39. Yummmmmy. I know what's for dinner tonight!

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  40. delish! one of my favorite comfort foods. gourmet had a nice rendition of a pasta carbonara that is about as simple as this cacio e pepe, i made it a few weeks ago and it did not disappoint!

    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peppery-Pasta-Carbonara-with-Poached-Egg-355422

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  41. That sounds great.
    Hugs and I hope your baby boy is feeling better now :)

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  42. Well then, now that I live in Rome I will just have to try this traditional Roman meal! Looks amazing :)

    xoxo

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  43. How sweet you are taking care of your love! Thanks for sharing this - I need no excuse to wolf down cheesy pasta, yum!

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  44. my husband is sick too. and is wrapped in blankets on the couch. i think i'll make this for him tonight! i have to add grated cheese though. can't have pasta without it :)

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  45. Yum! I love pasta dishes, and actually made one last night, too!

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  46. that sounds delicious!

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  47. love simple pepper-and-sharp-cheese pasta. add LOTS of garlic, too. good for clearing up sinuses. ;)

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  48. Hey Jo, boyfriends being sick always makes me think of this funny clip. (Not that all men need their forehead rubbed, I see cacio e pepe works too!)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IE

    get well soon Alex.

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  49. Anonymous3:11 PM

    This sounds amazing! I can't wait to try it.

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  50. simple. delicious. god, i love italian food. ;)

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  51. I've made something almost exactly like that but didn't know it had such a cool name! Thanks!

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  52. looks yummy! I made the boy and I some pasta last night too, but we just had linguine with regular out-of-the-jar marinara sauce. it was good, but I'm sure yours was better!

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  53. No olive oil or butter at all?
    Hope your husband gets better soon.

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  54. That is super easy. I'm going to try it for sure.

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  55. sounds simply wonderful... and on days where migraine headaches plague all, it sounds like just the perfect type of comfort food... i'll be sure to stock up for my next sick day :o)

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  56. I bookmarked this and am absolutely trying it within the next couple days. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

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  57. this made me crave pasta MADLY at 1am in the morning. and i'm still craving it now, 9 hours later! :)

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  58. Sorry he's sick, but this pasta sounds AMAZING!

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  59. That looks amazing! I'd love to try that with a glass of chilled white wine! Thanks for making me hungry.. :)

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  60. delicious! we do this a lot with orzo (it is great when gooey with the cooking water) and to make it extra special- add some artichoke hearts!

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  61. how funny that you posted this - we also just got back from rome and i had it on my 'to blog' list. we made some in paris (don't ask!) and it was deelish! amazing how something so simple can be so memorable (and how i've been on the planet 31 years and didn't think to have pasta with just cheese and pepper)!

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  62. I also discovered cacio & pepe, recently living in Rome. absolutely my favorite Roman dish (and I can assure you, I'm trying lots of them!)

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  63. YUM! I can't wait to try this - such simple goodness! BTW have you been to the Cacio e Pepe in the East Village {http://cacioepepe.com/}? So good!
    Thanks for an awesome post.

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  64. Made this for me and my hubs last night--it was a hit. I threw in some pine nuts too, yum!
    Thanks for sharing.

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  65. Mmmmm simple & tasty!

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  66. also delicious with spaghetti squash

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  67. I think I might make this tonight and add shrimp! Thanks Joanna!

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  68. yum yum yum yum yum

    My family is from Cyprus, and we do something similar, except with crumbled dried mint leaves instead of pepper. It's the ultimate lazy, cozy home food.

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  69. wow, this was amazing. it was so good that i made it too nights in a row! thanks for sharing!

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  74. oh wow, that sounds yummy...I like the suggestion to use a poached egg on top. YUM!

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  77. It won't succeed as a matter of fact, that's exactly what I think.

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