Place a medium saucepan of salted water over a high heat, bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. You don't need a lot of water, just enough to cover the pasta.
In the meantime, heat up the fresh cracked black pepper and olive oil in a large pan, low heat.
Once the pasta is cooked, add a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of pasta water into the pepper oil mixture.
Add the butter and stir until it melts.
Quickly transfer the pasta into the saucepan. You can use a tong.
Add almost all of the cheese. Reserve a little to sprinkle on top before serving. Quickly toss everything together and keep tossing until combined. You may need to add a little more pasta water if it becomes too dry. The pasta will absorb the liquid and be coated with thick cheesy sauce.
Serve right away with more cheese sprinkled on top.
Recipe by Let's Cook Some Food at https://www.letscooksomefood.com/cacio-e-pepe/