Cacio e Pepe

Hands down, the easiest meal, but also one of my favorites is Cacio e Pepe, which means cheese and pepper. The sauce is simply the starchy water from cooking the pasta, along with a little Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano) and black pepper.

Boil a cup or two of water in a skillet. Add your pasta, do not rinse it first. I use angel hair that cooks in 4 minutes. If it begins to boil out, add a little more water.

Remove from heat, DO NOT strain. Add some fresh ground black pepper and fine grate in about half a cup of the Reggiano. Stir until you have a nice sauce. Plate in a bowl, add more Reggiano to top, and grind in some more pepper to taste.