Cacio e Pepe with Burst Tomatoes

Buttery parmesan and black pepper pasta tossed with burst tomatoes. This classic cacio e pepe with burst tomatoes is delicious, simple to make, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

The first few days of October have gone by so fast. And as the days get shorter and the sun sets sooner, I’ve been looking forward to simple meals at night. Ones that don’t require much prepping. Ones that need just a few simple ingredients. Ones that don’t require me to run to the grocery store. This cacio e pepe with burst tomatoes is as simple as it gets.

I have a few staples at home. For those nights when I want to quickly whip something together. Butter is a must. Salted butter for bagels. Unsalted butter for baking. Parmesan and cheddar cheese are also staples. And our house is never without any kind of pasta. Seriously, there are usually at least three types of pasta sitting in the pantry.

What I love most about cacio e pepe is that it requires very little ingredients. Ingredients that you most likely have at home. Salted butter, pasta, black pepper, and parmesan. To give it a little twist, I added fresh tomatoes. You can use whatever tomatoes you like, but I used cherry tomatoes. And to give it a pop of color, I garnished the pasta with finely chopped parsley. But it’s completely optional.

Let’s make this pasta together. And savor the simplicity of a home cooked meal. Aka pasta night.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box until al dente. Before draining the water, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Then drain the pasta. Set the pasta aside for now.

In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil for about a minute. Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes have burst open. Set the tomatoes aside for now.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the salted butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add black pepper and cook for about a minute until toasted.

Now add 3/4 of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the pasta and the rest of the salted butter. Lower the heat then add parmesan cheese and toss until the parmesan has melted. Remove from heat, add the burst tomatoes, and toss until combined. Add more pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.

Divide the pasta onto plates. Garnish the cacio e pepe with burst tomatoes with finely chopped parsley before serving.

Enjoy!

Cacio e Pepe with Burst Tomatoes

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Buttery parmesan and black pepper pasta tossed with burst tomatoes. This classic cacio e pepe with burst tomatoes is delicious, simple to make, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Author: Andrea Giang

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
• 1½ teaspoons black pepper
• 1½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Finely chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box until al dente. Before draining the water, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Then drain the pasta. Set the pasta aside for now.
2. In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil for about a minute. Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes have burst open. Set the tomatoes aside for now.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the salted butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add black pepper and cook for about a minute until toasted.
4. Now add ¾ of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the pasta and the rest of the salted butter. Lower the heat then add parmesan cheese and toss until the parmesan has melted. Remove from heat, add the burst tomatoes, and toss until combined. Add more pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.
5. Divide the pasta onto plates. Garnish the cacio e pepe with burst tomatoes with finely chopped parsley before serving.

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