Cacio e Pepe Potato Chips

by Cindi SutterChief Communicator & Editor of Spirited Table® - Excerpted from Siriously Delicious by Siri Daly. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

Serves 6 to 8

Hands on time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

I must admit something: I first shared this recipe on the TODAY Show and immediately before the segment aired, I googled “how to pronounce Cacio e Pepe” and listened to the demonstration maybe 17 times in a row. If you are unfamiliar with the pronunciation, it goes something like this: “Couch-Oh EEE Pep-ay.” I should probably translate professionally, huh? Anyways, Cacio e Pepe (meaning cheese and pepper) is one of my favorite Italian pasta dishes, so when I realized I could transform it into a chip it seemed like a no-brainer! This recipe is as simple as it gets, and it comes together in a matter of minutes. The chips are crispy and cheesy and peppery—all of the best things. Now go impress your friends with this effortless snack as well as your fancy Italian accent.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package kettle-cooked potato chips

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese

1 1⁄2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the potato chips in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

  2. Sprinkle about half of the cheese on the chips, and bake until the cheese starts to melt, about 5 minutes.

  3. Remove from the oven. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with the pepper. Let cool, scatter on some parsley if you’d like, and enjoy!