Watch Alex Figura And Spencer White Cook The Easiest Pasta Dinner Ever

When we were brainstorming which restaurants to include in our Where To Eat Now feature story for 5280’s March issue (only on newsstands until next week!), Dio Mio was a no-brainer. I’ve been taking my six-year-old son (a true pasta addict) there since the fast casual spot opened in RiNo, and I’ll venture to say that Alex Figura and Spencer White, formerly of Lower48 Kitchen, are cooking some of the best food in town. The concise menu changes often, but what never does is the care they put into their house-made pastas, breads, pastries, and small plates.

Cacio e pepe, or Roman-style pasta with cheese and pepper, has been on the menu since the beginning; I, for one, hope that’s always the case. Using just seven ingredients, the entire recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare (including boiling water). Figura and White agreed to show us—live!—how simple cacio e pepe truly is to make, and we’ll get a free lesson in proper pasta cooking technique, too.

Cacio e Pepe

Serves 2

Sea salt
5 ounces fettucini
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) salted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated pecorino romano, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon crushed pink peppercorns

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil, cook the fettucine according package directions until al dente, stirring often.
2. About 3 minutes before the pasta is ready, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water into a liquid measuring cup; set nearby.
3. Add the black pepper to the skillet and toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium. Add the butter and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to the skillet; swirl to combine. Add the olive oil and swirl again to emulsify.
4. Using tongs, transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the skillet. Add the pecorino and stir with the tongs until the pasta is glazed and the sauce is thick. Add more pasta water, if necessary, to create a sauce. (The starchy water will help thicken and smooth out the sauce, but it will also make the sauce saltier so use only as much as you need.)
5. Transfer to two serving bowls, garnishing each with more cheese and the pink peppercorns. Enjoy immediately.