Orzo cacio e pepe

There are so many ways to enjoy pasta. And one of the simplest is cacio e pepe, which is Italian for cheese and pepper - which is also Mary for 'sign me up'! For this cacio e pepe, I’m using orzo which is a short little Italian pasta that can handle a spicy punch.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  3

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups (250 g) orzo
• Kosher salt
• 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino 
• ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)

Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat and season with a ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir in the orzo and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or just until al dente. Strain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

2. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium heat. Toast 1 teaspoon of pepper until it smells spicy and fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the orzo into the pan with the pepper. Add ½ cup of the remaining cooking liquid to the pan along with the Pecorino and Parmigiano and stir and toss vigorously until a creamy sauce forms, adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed.

3. Season to taste with salt and extra pepper, if needed and serve immediately.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.