Brown Butter Parmesan Cacio e Pepe Sauce
Chef Tony Reed
4
5 minutes
10 minutes
Sauce
A cacio e pepe sauce recipe that does a little extra homework. Spiceology Brown Butter Parmesan Seasoning gets bloomed in butter with a generous hit of black pepper, then whisked into a splash of cream and hot pasta water. A handful of fresh Parmesan melts in off the heat for a silky, pepper-forward sauce with nutty, toasted butter depth. Think of it as an easy cacio e pepe with a little insurance: the cream keeps the cheese emulsion steady, so it holds up beautifully on a busy line. Makes about 1.5 cups, enough to coat about 8 oz of pasta, and it's ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1.5 tsp Spiceology Black Pepper, Ground
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup hot pasta cooking water (or hot water), unsalted, reserved
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 Tbsp Spiceology Brown Butter Parmesan Seasoning
- ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cooked pasta, hot
Directions
- Start your pasta first so it finishes around the time the sauce does. Before draining, scoop out ¾ cup of the cooking water and keep it hot. Unsalted water keeps the sauce's seasoning in your control.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the black pepper and toast for 30–45 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Don't let it scorch.
- Add the Brown Butter Parmesan Seasoning and stir for 15–20 seconds, until fragrant.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and ½ cup of the hot pasta water. Bring to a gentle simmer, about 1–2 minutes, until smooth with small bubbles around the edge.
- Pull the saucepan off the heat and let it sit for 1 minute, until the bubbling stops. Whisk in the Parmesan a small handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next, until fully melted and glossy. Keep it off the boil from here on.
- Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce is silky and coats the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add kosher salt only if needed; the Parmesan brings plenty.
- Toss immediately with the hot pasta, or spoon over proteins and vegetables. If the sauce tightens as it sits, loosen it with a splash of hot water.
Recipe Products
Blend
Brown Butter Parmesan Seasoning
Key Ingredients
Butter, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic, Black Pepper, Lemon Peel
