Cacio E Pepe, Pronto!

• 150 grams spaghetti
• 1-1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, ideally with a mortar and pestle
• 1/3 cup finely grated salty cheese, such as Cacio di Roma, Gran Padano, Pecorino, etc., plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti.
2. Meanwhile, heat a heavy frying pan over medium flame and add olive oil. Whenrnwarm, add ground pepper and allow to fry lightly for 4-5 minutes. It will become fragrant. If the pepper is frying to violently, turn the heat down to low.
3. When the pasta is a bit more al dente than you would normally like it, pour a few tablespoons of the pasta water into the frying pan and turn the heat up to high. Swirl by grabbing the pan's handle and jerking it towards you repeatedly, or use a spoon or tongs to stir around.
4. Remove the pasta from the water with tongs and place in the pan. Again, stir or jerk the pan to incorporate the fried pepper into the pasta. Continue to add pasta water from the pot, little by little and stir the pasta in the pan.
5. After about a minute, sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta, stirring quickly to incorporate. If it looks at all dry, add a bit more pasta water. (Don't worry about adding a bit too much water, as it will cook off.) Keep stirring quickly. Once the cheese is melted and incorporated with an overall smooth texture, it's time to remove the pan from the heat and plate.
6. Top with extra ground pepper if you're really into spice, as well as a bit more grated cheese. Salt to taste.

spaghetti, ground black pepper, salty cheese, olive oil, salt

Taken from food52.com/recipes/34634-cacio-e-pepe-pronto (may not work)