Easiest Instant Pot Cacio e Pepe Recipe

The easiest Instant Pot cacio e pepe recipe—just 4 ingredients, 10 minutes, and one pot gets you the creamiest, cheesiest Instant Pot cacio e pepe ever!


Are you ready for the simplest fancy recipe you’ve ever made? Meet this Instant Pot cacio e pepe recipe.

instant pot cacio e pepe recipe

I first had cacio e pepe at Rose’s Luxury in DC, when it was named the best new restaurant in the country in 2014 by Bon Appétit. Back then, we didn’t have the Instant Pot, much less the wonder that is this recipe.

We went to Rose’s for the first time a few years ago for my birthday and stood in line in the freezing cold for an hour, waiting for them to open. They don’t take reservations and had just made the best new restaurant list, so we were not the only fools twiddling our gloved thumbs on the sidewalk.

When we finally made it in in, we ordered just about everything, but as usual, my favorite thing was the simplest thing. It was the Cacio e Pepe pasta.

instant pot cacio e pepe

So, of course, I thought about it for the next 11 ½ months. And of course, it was no longer on the menu, so I couldn’t even go back for it. How could I possibly recreate it at home? How had they done it? There was no way to find out. I was stuck.

Then last week I remembered: THE INTERNET! Yes, the internet. Forgot about that thing. And what do you know, just one Google away, Aaron Silverman shared the recipe on Garden & Gun’s website. [Update: G&G has since taken down the recipe.] So, yeah. All my pining was for naught.

After I mastered the stovetop cacio e pepe recipe, I moved on to trying it as a one pot cacio e pepe recipe. And then I HAD to adapt it for the Instant Pot next.

Why I love this Instant Pot cacio e pepe recipe

This Instant Pot cacio e pepe recipe is a minimalist dream, made with just 4 ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes. It’s nothing but pasta, cheese, pepper, and butter. Lots and lots of butter. It is very healthy.

I made it for dinner last week and moaned euphorically with every bite because ohmygod it is so good. So so good.

Things I am told I said to Jarrett in my delirium while eating this Instant Pot cacio e pepe recipe:

“This is the best day of my entire life.”

“It’s so good I could cry. I may cry.”

“Stop eating that. It’s mine.”

So what is the moral of this story, you ask? It’s that simple food is the happiest food.

So get ready to get very happy with this Instant Pot cacio e pepe recipe.

instant pot cacio e pepe recipe

Instant Pot Cacio e Pepe Recipe

This Instant Pot Cacio e Pepe recipe is the easiest, creamiest, 5 ingredient cacio e pepe recipe you could want!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword cacio e pepe, easy cacio e pepe recipe, easy instant pot cacio e pepe, instant pot, instant pot cacio e pepe, instant pot cacio e pepe recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Maria

Ingredients

  • 1 lb spaghetti (1 package)
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 cups parmesan
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (You want a medium grind, not too coarse and not powdery.)

Instructions

  1. Pour 3 ½ cups water into the Instant Pot. Break 1 lb. of spaghetti in half then place in the Instant Pot and add 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, cut into cubes.

  2. Lock the lid and set the pressure release to Sealing. Select the Manual setting and set the timer to 5 minutes.

  3. While the pasta cooks, grate 3 cups parmesan (if not pregrated) and grind 2 teaspoons black pepper into a small bowl. Cut remaining 6 tablespoons butter into cubes.

  4. When the timer goes off, move the pressure release knob to Venting, using a towel to protect your hand. Press cancel to reset the cooking method, then open the pot and select the Saute setting. 

  5. Add the parmesan, pepper, and remaining butter. Allow to cook for several minutes until sauce has thickened and coated the spaghetti. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.

  6. Serve warm, topped with an extra sprinkle of parmesan and black pepper.

Want another ridiculously easy pasta recipe? This is one of my favorites:

One-pot harissa bolognese

harissa pasta skinnytaste recipe

Cheers!

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Easy almond chicken tenders recipe

An easy almond chicken tenders recipe, adapted from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table cookbook. This is a dairy-free, gluten-free almond chicken tenders recipe that’s extra easy and healthy!


I am proudly basic about many things, but a big one is TV. And that means I love Fixer Upper just as much as the other huddling, shiplapping masses elbowing their way through Target for an artisanal salt shaker.

Are you a Fixer Upper fan or does the whole phenomenon drive you nuts? And have you seen their new cookbook?

It’s called Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering, and it. is. everywhere. The Magnolia Table cookbook sold a crushing 169,000 copies in just its first week on sale–let’s just pause to focus on how insane those numbers are.

And you know what? I love it. 

magnolia table cookbook recipes

I love to see smart business women succeed, especially when they stay true to themselves. Plus, the book is gorgeous. I can’t remember a softer, simpler, more serene book design that’s come out in the last 5 years. Granted, if color is your jam, all things JG might feel a little too whitewashed. But I loves me some white.

The Magnolia Table cookbook recipes surprised me, though. They weren’t what I expected–maybe you’re a better diviner of what TV stars really eat than I am (bless you for that skill), but I was pleasantly surprised about a few things about the Magnolia Table cookbook recipes.

(Click here to read my full cookbook review of Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines.)

almond chicken tenders recipe

But of all the Magnolia Table cookbook recipes, the one that called to me loudest was Joanna Gaines’s Almond Chicken Tenders recipe, which with a few tweaks, hit that perfect trifecta of easy + healthy + simple that I love.

3 ways to make Joanna Gaines’ Almond Chicken Tenders recipe (and other Magnolia Table cookbook recipes) healthier + simpler:

  1. Make it gluten-free. The original almond chicken tenders recipe calls for ½ cup almond flour and ½ cup all-purpose flour. I cut the AP and made it 1 cup almond flour, because it’s gluten-free, paleo, higher protein, and lazy person alert: did you know it’s easier to measure one thing instead of two? That’s some culinary math for you right there. And yes, you could do the same swap for many of the non-baking recipes in the book, or even use your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour mix.
  2. Halve the butter. I know, I love butter, too. But butter goes straight to my butt and makes my stomach hurt sometimes, so REALITY CHECK. (Reality sucks.) But the good news is that this almond chicken tenders recipe really doesn’t need that much fat, so we’re gonna be just fine. And the better news is that you can substitute ghee for the butter if you’re dairy-free.
  3. Skip the parsley garnish. Because I don’t know about you, but I can never use up all my leftover parsley. And picking leaves off stems is just UGH. I might quit parsley for the rest of my life, in fact. Instead, skip this most thankless of tasks and cook green beans and tomatoes in the same buttery skillet you used for the almond chicken tenders. Two side veg > one fussy garnish.

Almond Chicken Tenders recipe: A Magnolia Table cookbook recipe

This almond chicken tenders recipe was adapted from Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines

almond chicken tenders recipe

 

Almond chicken tenders recipe

An easy, healthy almond chicken tenders recipe that's also gluten free and dairy free! Adapted from Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Table.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Instructions

  1. In a large, shallow bowl, mix the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and black pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with salt then coat with the almond flour.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the chicken and cook on both sides until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Wipe the skillet and repeat with the second batch of chicken, adding an additional 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  3. (If you’re using parsley, now’s the time to pick the leaves off the stems, chop, and set aside so you can make it look pretty at the end.)
  4. Wipe out the skillet. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until foaming. Stir in the almonds and cook until toasted, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and drizzle over the chicken. Garnish with the parsley, if you’re going that way.

Make it healthier: Serve the almond chicken tenders in butter lettuce cups with green beans and cherry tomatoes blistered in the same buttery skillet.

almond chicken tenders recipe

For more cookbook recipes, check out:

Once Upon a Chef, the Cookbook by Jennifer Segal

once upon a chef cookbook review

My favorite Middle Eastern cookbook of the year:

best middle eastern cookbook

Get one free tip for reading more + living better each week!

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Here’s how to make the Magnolia Table cookbook recipes healthy

3 easy ways to make the Magnolia Table cookbook recipes healthy: yes, you can cook Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table cookbook recipes even if you’re dairy-free, gluten free, paleo, or trying to lose weight!


I am proudly basic about many things, but a big one is TV. And that means I love Fixer Upper just as much as the other huddling, shiplapping masses elbowing their way through Target for an artisanal salt shaker.

Are you a Fixer Upper fan or does the whole phenomenon drive you nuts? And have you seen their new cookbook?

It’s called Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering, and it. is. everywhere. The Magnolia Table cookbook sold a crushing 169,000 copies in just its first week on sale–let’s just pause to focus on how insane those numbers are.

And you know what? I love it. 

magnolia table cookbook recipes

I love to see smart business women succeed, especially when they stay true to themselves. Plus, the book is gorgeous. I can’t remember a softer, simpler, more serene book design that’s come out in the last 5 years. Granted, if color is your jam, all things JG might feel a little too whitewashed. But I loves me some white.

The Magnolia Table cookbook recipes surprised me, though. They weren’t what I expected–maybe you’re a better diviner of what TV stars really eat than I am (bless you for that skill), but I was pleasantly surprised about a few things about the Magnolia Table cookbook recipes.

3 surprising things about the Magnolia Table cookbook recipes

magnolia table cookbook recipes

Read More

One-pot harissa pasta

How many hours have you been staring at the computer today? Spring is so busy, and sometimes it’s hard to shake off the glow of our screens and step out of the tunnel of the Internet.

We’re doing just that in Greece for our honeymoon right now, and oh man, does it feel good. Fresh air, new scenery, SO much to eat. After an insanely busy past few weeks, Greece feels like breathing deep again.

I’m just so happy to be spending some time outside, away from the computer. A lot of folks think us book people are introverts who’d rather sit inside all day reading a book rather than socializing. Which is totally true. But I’m also willing to sit outside all day reading a book. I think that makes me adventurous.

If you also want to try something new tonight, and you’re bleary eyed from staring at your manuscript or the computer screen for hours, then come over here. Back away from the computer, tiptoe into the kitchen, and make this really, really slowly. Isn’t it nice to remember what unrushed cooking feels like?

harissa pasta skinnytaste recipe

This pasta is:

  1. Cozy, comforting, reassuring, and all those other words you want to come home to after a long day
  2. Excellent when paired with a book or ouzo
  3. Spicy, and just a little bit adventurous. Like reading outside.

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