Cacio e Pepe Pasta (Cheese and pepper pasta) (Italian)

A traditional dish from the region of Rome, very simple and with few ingredients, that really allows the flavors of cheese and freshly ground pepper to brightly shine through. The pepper is toasted in olive oil firsthand to enhance its flavor, and then grated cheese is added (ideally, a type of Italian cheese called "Cacio", but yellow cheddar works as a fine substitute) to create a velvety sauce in no time. The pasta used in this dish should be spaghetti (or at least linguine), as its shape fits the sauce's texture perfectly. 
Recipe source: Saveur. 

Last year: Tortellini tomato salad with pesto dressing + possible improvisations.
Two years ago: Pink raspberry lemonade (raw vegan).
Three years ago: Pain aux herbes de Provence (French) (vegan).
Four years ago: Baby making and no cooking:).



Ingredients (serves 1):

100 g wholemeal spaghetti

15 ml olive oil

1-2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

80 g grated Cacio de Roma cheese

50 g grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve (optionally)

Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the pepper.

After 2-3 minutes, you should be able to smell the pepper strongly. Add the grated cheese (both the Cacio and the Parmesan) and stir gently until everything is melted together.

Remove from the heat and add the boiled, drained spaghetti. Mix well to coat every bit of pasta in the sauce.

Transfer to a serving plate and top with extra ground pepper and / or Parmesan, if you'd like. (I only added extra pepper).

It's done, dig in! :)