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.

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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.

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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.

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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.

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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.

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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.

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

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

Enjoy!

Cacio e Pepe wih Burst Tomatoes | Cooking with a Wallflower

Cacio e Pepe with Burst Tomatoes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
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:
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.

 

9 comments

  1. soullfire says:

    Under your blog, there were links to other recipe posts for Cacio e Pepe- so I checked those out as well. Yours is by far the most visually appealing with such awesome food prep pics! ♥👍

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