Make Angel Hair Cacio e Pepe

My mom always made me butter and cheese pasta growing up. It was her emergency type meal, the thing she could throw together with three ingredients and in 15 minutes flat. This Angel Hair Cacio e Pepe is the Roman extension of that idea.

Cacio e Pepe is my go-to, I-have-nothing-to-eat-and-not-a-lot-of-food meal. I always, always have Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino in the fridge and black pepper and pasta in the pantry.  Its so simple to throw together, yet it does require a bit of understanding what youre going after. You want the cheese to be smooth and saucy. The pasta water is reserved which has quite a bit of starch in it, which results in a beautiful sauce. The black pepper works perfectly with the salty parmesan. The end result should be a peppery, salty, carb heaven situation.

This angel hair iteration is my current favorite because I love the thin strands of al dente pasta.

If youre ever in a bind and need something quick fast and delicious, this is it!

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She's a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.