Mushroom Cacio e Pepe

I know many of you have a cabinet full of pasta because there’s hardly any left at the market….so a pasta recipe seems appropriate this week. Cacio e Pepe is one of my favorites, a perfectly simple Roman dish whose main ingredients are spaghetti, pecorino, and black pepper. I added some sautéed mushrooms to make it more of a one dish meal, sautéed spinach would work too.

Thinly slice and sauté some mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil until soft, salt and pepper then set aside. Boil a pound of spaghetti until el dente making sure to save a cup of the pasta water just before draining.

Drain the noodles and slide them back into the pot. Stir in a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, the reserved pasta water, and a cup and a half of parmesan, pecorino, or a combination of both. Mix together until the pasta is completed coated, stir in the mushrooms, then salt to taste and serve immediately.