Easiest Instant Pot Cacio e Pepe Recipe

by Maria

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
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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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The 7 best cookbooks for beginners, according to an insider

by Maria

Need to find the best cookbooks for beginners? A cookbook publishing insider shares the 7 best cookbooks for beginners, no matter what kind of beginner you are!

There’s almost nothing more exciting than new beginnings, and to me, there’s definitely nothing more exciting the start of a new cookbook collection.

Anytime a graduation, wedding, baby shower or any other gifting occasion comes up, I have to physically restrain myself from buying 5 new cookbooks for that friend entering a new stage of life. And I mean it–someone (ahem, Jarrett) has gotta hold me back.

best cookbooks for beginners 3

Because, you see, I think that finding your way in the kitchen is one of the great pleasures of life. And that’s not even mentioning the practical incentives. Like that whole thing about how cooking at home is the #1 best thing you can do to save money, save your health, and save your relationships.

It’s true: cooking is magic for every corner of our lives, which is why it can be so rewarding to give yourself or someone you love the gift of a few cookbooks. But which are the best cookbooks for beginners? Can there even be one set of best cookbooks for beginners?

The 7 best cookbooks for beginners: why this list is different

In researching for this article, I found that many of the other online lists of the best cookbooks for beginners weren’t really for beginners. They shared books that were either too comprehensive (read: intimidating) for beginners or too high-brow (read: doubly intimidating) for beginners. And many didn’t acknowledge that there are many different kinds of beginners, and that therefore, the best cookbook for one type of beginner just wouldn’t do for another.

So instead, I decided to research and prepare my own master list of the best cookbooks for beginners. It’s organized by the type of beginner you might encounter, as well as by what that beginner might actually be interested in learning.

This list is sourced both from my 10+ years of editing and working on cookbooks, as well as my own life as a home cook and a bordering-on-obnoxious gifter of cookbooks. (And no, I haven’t personally worked on any of these–these truly are just my favorites to gift!)

I hope you find this list helpful for spotting that one best cookbook that will work for your beginner, so you can set them (or yourself) on the path of good cooking and good living.

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A simple writing prompt for every day

by Maria

My favorite daily simple writing prompt–this simple writing prompt is so much fun and perfect for journaling!

Every once in a while we play a little game around here called CURRENTLY. It’s my favorite because it’s a simple writing prompt that doesn’t feel like a writing prompt. It gets your thoughts flowing while also capturing a moment in time in your life. And those little moments are priceless, especially when you look back on them a year or two from now.

You could fill a whole notebook with weekly or monthly CURRENTLYs, or just keep this simple writing prompt in your back pocket for the next time you want to hone those observation + reflection skills.

Want to play? Fill out whatever pops in your head for each category—the less you think about it, the more fun this simple writing prompt will be.

LOVING // Train rides. I love, love, love riding the train. And I know it makes me crazy, but now that we’ve moved just north of Richmond, the long train ride to NYC is the very best. The scenery, guys—you’ve got to try it.

simple writing prompt

READING // I’m not sure exactly how it started, but Jarrett decided to get back into mysteries, and now he and I are on an Agatha Christie kick. I started with And Then There Were None. (I guessed the killer! My crowning achievement in life.) And I just started The Mysterious Affair at Styles. They are a ridiculously fun yet mind-bending break—perfect if you want to traipse into a genre that isn’t your norm.

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Here’s how to crush your creative goals in 2019

by Maria

Best word count tracker printable: a word count tracker printable to help you crush your creative goals in 2019!

I love this time of year. The decorations, the gifts, the parties, the cheeriness, the promise of a deep exhalation and some time off.

In just a few days, Jarrett and I are going to sit down together to do our Year End Review. It’s a tradition that started with my Monthly Review system, but it’s been completely eye-opening in helping us see the year past and the year ahead.

We review our finances, celebrate accomplishments, pinpoint problem spots, and set our goals for next year. I like order (correction: I crave order), so my goals fall into a hierarchy:

  1. Faith + Service Work
  2. Health
  3. Relationships
  4. Work

word count tracker printable

So with just a few days left in the working year of 2018, my mind is already turning to 2019. And I’ve realized my big Work goal is simple: I want one hour each morning to create.

To write, to design, to edit, whatever. For clients, for you guys here at c&b, for me, whoever. But I want just one hour in the day where emails, notifications, and small to-dos can’t infiltrate.

What’s your big creative goal for 2019?

If it’s also to get That Big Project done—you know, the one on your bucket list—but you just can’t wrap your mind around how you’ll find the time, I have hope for you.

I created my new Literary Paper Co. membership to work specifically for writers, artists, and creators who are ready to make big progress on their big projects—things like writing a book, or launching a blog, or brainstorming a business.

Even if you feel like you’re barely keeping up with your life now, this is the way to carve out a few precious minutes for your creative work.

Each monthly package is designed to help you establish a creative routine that takes just 7 minutes. But by giving your best energy to your creative work, you’ll start to see how even 7 minutes a day can add up to major progress toward your major goals.

I don’t want 2019 to be one more year where we let the things we care most about slip through our fingers because we can’t find the time. One more year where the demands of the world drown out the demands of our creative souls.

word count tracker printable

So if you want 2019 to be different—if you need it to be different—come join our happy family of creators who are getting it done with Literary Paper Co.

The last day to order is this Sunday, December 16th!

All January packages will be sent on Monday, December 17, so the cut-off for placing your order is this Sunday, December 16th.

I can’t wait to share these products with you and to hear all about the amazing things you’ll be making in 2019!

 

I’m ready to crush 2019—sign me up!

 

Tell me more about what I’ll get in the subscription!

 

 Questions? (I love questions.) Head to the comments section of this post, and hit me with ‘em!

 

What I’m reading this week

  1. I can’t wait to put this to use. (And yes, Polly, Rachel, and I are making a book on this!)
  2. Kristen always has wise words on the writing life, but I especially like this thought: “The simplest way to circumvent resistance is to make an action automatic, to turn it into a habit, a consistent practice.” That’s what a Literary Paper Co. subscription is all about!
  3. So much beauty here…
  4. And even more beauty for your day.
  5. All the writing retreats for 2019, in one place.

What we’re eating this week

Here’s what I want: a drone that follows me around while I travel with a packed cooler of delicious, homemade, healthy-ish food. And while we’re at it, let’s build a wine fridge into it, too. I’m sure Amtrak wouldn’t mind this if I slip them some hush-money that is actually just a hoagie. I’d cover up most crimes for a hoagie, personally.

word count tracker printable

(We had a beautiful snowfall in Richmond on Sunday.)

Monday: I’m home, and I MacGyver together a very inauthentic, only loosely Vietnamese pho from some leftover homemade stock. Luckily, sriracha is the great equalizer.

Tuesday: You know, I still love my Instant Pot. Do you, or have you gotten tired of hearing about them? I’m just getting the hang of making pasta in it, and now I’m hooked on a Chicken Pesto Shells concoction that is sort-of-ish healthy-ish.

Wednesday: I’m in NYC, so just hangin’ with my drone full of hoagies and wine bottles.

Thursday: Jarrett is in NYC for meetings, too, and we’re going to wine and dine my Yaya at Ye Olde Smashburger.

Friday: It’s the Stonesong holiday lunch! I’m so excited. Trading in my drone for merriness and feasting with the very best work family around.

Cheers!

 

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