Cacio e Pepe is such a simple dish. It’s really not more than 4 – 5 ingredients in total, but like so many classic recipes, it becomes something much larger than the sum of its parts.
The water from cooking the pasta is used as the base for the sauce, then butter and olive oil in equal parts combine to create a rich, creamy glaze. The black pepper adds the faintest bite while the salty parmesan cheese adds richness and incredible depth of flavor. Finally, the lump crab meat elevates this simple peasant pasta to new heights with a touch of brininess and sweet crab flavor. Use full-flavored, robust olive oil with this dish — one that really brings forth those spicy, peppery, olive notes to balance the richness of the butter and parmesan.
Go as heavy as you like on the crab meat and parmesan, just make sure to serve this dish as soon as it’s ready!
Cacio e Pepe with Maryland Lump Crab!
Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: Mediterranean4
servings10
minutes20
minutesCacio e Pepe is a cinch to make and will quickly become one of your favorite comfort foods. Rich, cheesy, and lightly spicy from the pepper this is Italy’s quintessential “Mac and cheese”. Go as heavy as you like on the crab meat and parmesan, just make sure to serve this dish as soon as it’s ready!
Ingredients
16ouncesspaghetti
1cupMaryland lump crab meat
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil
1/4cupbutter
1cupparmesan cheese
1tspsalt
1tbspblack pepper
Directions
- Bring a heavily salted pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the spaghetti and cook until the past is al dente.
- Strain the pasta and reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- Return the pasta and the 1/2 cup of pasta water back to the pot and place it on the stove over medium heat.
- Add the butter olive oil, salt and black pepper to the pot.
- Allow the liquid to come to a simmer and stir frequently to emulsify the butter and olive oil into the pasta water.
- Continue to simmer the liquid, and reduce the pasta water by a 1/3.
- To finish the pasta, remove the pot from the heat and slowly mix in the parmesan cheese.
- Fold in the crab meat gently.
- Serve immediately.
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