Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Italian · Main course · 15 min total
A classic Roman pasta dish with a creamy, peppery sauce made from pecorino Romano and pasta water. Simple yet sublime.
5
min prep
min prep
10
min cook
min cook
2
servings
servings
550
kcal/serving
kcal/serving
Ingredients
- 200g spaghetti or tonnarelli
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, coarsely ground
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated pecorino Romano cheese (about 150g)
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, toast the coarsely ground black pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the grated pecorino with 1/2 cup of hot pasta water, stirring vigorously with a fork to form a paste.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the pepper. Toss to coat.
- Pour the cheese paste over the pasta and toss quickly, adding more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is creamy and coats each strand. Serve immediately.
- Top with additional grated pecorino and a crack of black pepper if desired.
Tips
- Use high-quality pecorino Romano for best flavor.
- Work quickly when combining cheese and pasta to prevent clumping.
- If sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of pasta water to loosen.
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