This is long, but read it at least once before you start. On a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), Anthony Bourdain was asked, “What was the simplest, yet best tasting dish you’ve ever had?” Answer: Cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper). I made it, and he’s right! It’s deceptively simple, but surprisingly delicious and easy to make– as long as you do it the right way:

Boil 3 quarts of water, add the salt, then the pasta, stirring so it won’t stick. Cook the pasta about a minute less than what the instructions say. It varies with the pasta, so practice makes perfect. You want to finish cooking the pasta in the skillet. Drain the pasta, keeping about 2 cups of the cloudy pasta water. Heat the skillet on medium, then toss in the pepper alone for about 30 seconds, moving it around as you toast it. Note the intense aroma. Before the pepper burns, stop the heat with about a 1/2 cup of pasta water and add the cubed butter. Keep the rest of the pasta water handy, just in case things become too dry. Add the pasta, reduce the heat to simmer, and add the Grana Padano. It’ll melt and combine with the water and butter to become a creamy, golden sauce. Toss and turn the pasta in the sauce, then add the Pecorino. Serve immediately, preferably with a rosé to offset the peppery bite.