Cacio e Pepe–Style Udon with Black Pepper and Sesame

Name: Cacio e Pepe–Style Udon with Black Pepper and Sesame
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
Ingredients: 340 g udon noodles (fresh or frozen); 30 g neutral oil (2 Tbsp); 20 g unsalted butter (1 1/2 Tbsp) or 20 g vegan butter; 25 g black pepper, very coarsely ground (about 2 Tbsp); 20 g white miso (1 Tbsp); 20 g nutritional yeast (about 1/4 cup) (I'm assuming you have this—let me know if not and I'll swap); 300 g hot starchy noodle water, plus more as needed (about 1 1/4 cups); 10 g toasted sesame seeds, finely ground (1 Tbsp); 5 g soy sauce or tamari (1 tsp); 10 g toasted sesame oil (2 tsp); 15 g scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

A silky, pepper-forward udon inspired by cacio e pepe, but built with pantry-friendly Asian cues. Fresh-cracked black pepper blooms in fat, then a miso–nutritional yeast “cheesy” sauce clings to bouncy noodles. It’s fast, weeknight-friendly, and plays nicely with crunchy slaw or any simple protein on the side.

Total time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

340 g udon noodles (fresh or frozen)
30 g neutral oil (2 Tbsp)
20 g unsalted butter (1 1/2 Tbsp) or 20 g vegan butter
25 g black pepper, very coarsely ground (about 2 Tbsp)
20 g white miso (1 Tbsp)
20 g nutritional yeast (about 1/4 cup) (I'm assuming you have this—let me know if not and I'll swap)
300 g hot starchy noodle water, plus more as needed (about 1 1/4 cups)
10 g toasted sesame seeds, finely ground (1 Tbsp)
5 g soy sauce or tamari (1 tsp)
10 g toasted sesame oil (2 tsp)
15 g scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook udon until bouncy and tender. Reserve at least 400 g (about 1 2/3 cups) cooking water, then drain.
While the noodles cook, set a large skillet over medium heat. Add neutral oil and butter. When the butter melts and the fat shimmers, add the coarsely ground black pepper. Cook 30–60 seconds until intensely fragrant (it should smell toasty, not burnt).
Lower heat to low. Whisk miso and nutritional yeast into 200 g hot noodle water until smooth, then pour into the skillet. Add ground sesame and soy sauce/tamari.
Add drained udon and toss vigorously. Add more noodle water 30–60 g at a time until the sauce looks glossy and clings to the noodles. You’re aiming for silky, not soupy; it should leave creamy streaks on the pan.
Turn off heat. Drizzle in toasted sesame oil and toss. Taste: you want peppery heat, savory depth, and a gentle “cheesy” tang—add a splash more noodle water if it tightens.
Serve hot; top with sliced scallions if you like.

Notes

Gluten-free: use 300–340 g rice noodles or 100% buckwheat soba and tamari. If you’d rather go classic-dairy, replace nutritional yeast + miso with 70 g finely grated Parmesan and whisk it in off-heat with noodle water, keeping the pan low so it doesn’t clump.