![Make a big bowl of this pasta and shut the Christmas madness away for a couple of hours](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/recipes/2019/12/05/FC3DBBCC-FE02-4F71-8DC2-4F92083C06B5_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqO65TkrT7BriBrd3fK6VEg5gdFRfveIAraQjR2YfT6-8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Friday night dinner: Fried egg cacio e pepe with parmesan breadcrumbs
![Make a big bowl of this pasta and shut the Christmas madness away for a couple of hours](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/recipes/2019/12/05/FC3DBBCC-FE02-4F71-8DC2-4F92083C06B5_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqO65TkrT7BriBrd3fK6VEg5gdFRfveIAraQjR2YfT6-8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
On the Christmas-ometer I think I have reached peak Mariah Carey, I am officially parting ways with the festive sarnie, and I really don’t need to see another middle-aged man in a novelty jumper. I am, however, still delighting in a daily airing of Wham!, could take at least another seven boxes of mince pies and am having a lot of fun buying food themed decorations for the tree I’m buying this weekend. Sparkly croissant anyone? Metallic avocado? Come on.
It feels like day six of 752 in the Christmas party season and at this point, proper dinner seems to have gone out the window. Toast slathered with Marmite (I’ll hear no objections, thank you, it is the stuff of Gods) and topped with a slice of whatever cheese is knocking about the fridge tends to be my go-to after an evening of imbibing. Occasionally, if I feel as though I’m careering towards a bout of festive scurvy, I’ll seek out some veg and make a quick soup or curry. Mainly, though, dinner in December needs to be achievable with limited brain function and ideally not resemble something which could be found on an M&S mini quiche and sausage roll selection platter.
At times like these I always turn to spaghetti. I want it so saucy it practically requires me to wear a bib while eating. I’d also like it to be salty, with a bit of a kick and some sort of crunch. And I have zero interest in chopping anything. Enter: cacio e pepe - of sorts. Now, clearly I’ve messed around with an Italian classic here, and for that I apologise. But rather than come up with a nifty little name for this dish, I’m just calling it “fried egg cacio e pepe” and the Romans will just have to deal with it.
Make sure to get your egg super crispy at the edges. Serve the spaghetti in a good, deep bowl with extra parmesan and black pepper. Pop a Christmas film on, fire up the fairy lights and shut the world out for a couple of hours.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes
SERVES
1
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil, for frying
- 50g bread, torn into small chunks
- 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra for serving
- 4 tbsp parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving
- 100g spaghetti (or another long pasta)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
METHOD
- Set a large frying pan over a high heat with a glug of oil. When the oil is hot, add the bread and fry until golden. Tip out onto a plate lined with kitchen towel. Sprinkle with salt and half the black pepper. When cool toss through 1 tbsp parmesan.
- Meanwhile, set a pan of well salted water on to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving 4 tbsp starchy cooking water when you drain the spaghetti.
- Add more oil to the pan and fry the egg so that the edges are crispy and the yolk still runny. Set aside with the crumbs. Wipe the frying pan out and melt the butter until bubbling, then add the remaining black pepper and cook for a minute. Add the 4 tbsp cooking water from the pasta pan and simmer for three minutes.
- Pour the pasta into the sauce and stir vigorously. Add 2 tbsp parmesan and stir constantly until the cheese has melted, then add the rest and stir until the sauce is silky. Add a little more hot water if it needs it. Tip into a deep, warm bowl, drizzle over a little olive oil, sprinkle over the crumbs, parsley, a little coarse salt and top with the crispy egg. Put extra black pepper and parmesan on the table.
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