Classic Cacio e Pepe is a simple recipe with big flavor! This recipe is from Hotel Eden’s Chef Fabio Ciervo in Rome. Recently I enjoyed a wonderful online cooking class courtesy of Indagare, a New York City luxury travel company and this is what we made!
Since I’m currently experimenting with plant based eating, I decided to make this a vegan version. I substituted the chicken broth for vegetable broth and used vegan parmesan cheese. It turned out really tasty. I’m sure the original version is excellent as well!
The photos are of my vegan version. While watching the cooking class online it appeared that the real cheese version was creamier. Maybe it was just the professional chef’s expertise! In any event, it’s a tasty, quick pasta that I’m sure to be making again.
PrintCacio e Pepe
This recipe is from Chef Fabio Ciervo at Rome’s Hotel Eden and can be easily modified to make it vegan/vegetarian by swapping out the chicken broth for vegetable broth and substituting the cheeses with your favorite vegan version.
Ingredients
12 oz. spaghetti
3/4 C. light chicken broth
1/4 C. Cacio cheese (pecorino)
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. black pepper from Madagascar (crushed in mortar)
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Bring pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta. Undercook to barely al dente. You will finish cooking the pasta in the pan with the sauce.
While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in pan, add pepper, stir and heat over low for a bit, then add broth and turmeric.
Add pasta (al dente) to the pan and keep on low to continue cooking pasta, don’t forget to stir now and then. Add a bit of broth if needed as pasta absorbs the liquid. When pasta is finished cooking, add cheeses and combine slowly to melt cheese. Keep heat low so cheese melts evenly, until creamy.
Plate the pasta and finish with a dust of freshly crushed pepper