This amazing pasta dish has only 3 main ingredients

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Do you ever get to the end of the day and suddenly feel a rush of stress, realizing that you have to deal with cooking something for dinner? We have a cheap, quick and easy solution for you.

There’s a dinner recipe that only requires three main ingredients — and your whole family will love it!

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Cheap 3-ingredient pasta recipe

Cacio e Pepe is a traditional Roman dish, and it means “cheese and pepper.” In addition to those two ingredients, you’ll need a long form of pasta, such as linguine or spaghetti.

It seems simple enough, but chef Carlo Mirarchi told NBC News that “a lot of people screw it up.”

Everything you’ll need (one serving)

  • 3 ounces of pasta
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground coarse black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Water

Chef Mirarchi’s recipe 

  • Bring a big pot of water to a boil and season heavily with salt
  • Cook the pasta according to the directions
  • While the pasta is cooking, toast the black pepper in oil in a sauté pan until fragrant
  • Ladle 4 ounces (two small ladles full) of pasta water to stop the cooking
  • Keep the heat off until the pasta is done
  • Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sauté pan
  • Turn the heat on medium high and slowly sprinkle in the Pecorino cheese
  • Toss the pasta while you add the cheese to emulsify
  • Serve immediately, top with some freshly grated cheese and pepper

The secret is to use the pasta’s cooking water to create a creamy sauce, Mirarchi demonstrated on NBC’s “Today.” People who swear by this dish say using a high-quality cheese makes all the difference.

Ready for the best part? This minimalist meal goes from pot to plate in just about 20 minutes!

RELATED: 5 ways my Instant Pot pressure cooker makes life so much easier

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