Cacio e Pepe

4.96 from 22 votes

Rome’s classic pasta combination of spaghetti, pecorino cheese, and black pepper can be a bit tricky to make at home but give it a whirl. All it takes is a little practice and some elbow grease to make a luscious, cheesy dish of pasta. Spaghetti and tonnarelli—thick, square-cut noodles—are my two favorite shapes, but rigatoni and bucatini (fat, hollow noodles) are also good.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Domenica Marchetti

Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt
1 pound spaghetti, tonnarelli or bucatini pasta
4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

Instructions

Salt the water: Fill a large pot with water, and set it over high heat. Bring it to a boil and add two teaspoons of salt.
Boil the pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling water, reduce heat to medium high and cook according to package instructions until the pasta al dente.
Grate the cheese: While the pasta is cooking, grate the cheese with a microplane or on the small star holes of a box grater. You should have about 3 cups of very fluffy cheese.
Toast and grind the peppercorns: In a small skillet set over medium-high heat, add the peppercorns. Toast the peppercorns, stirring occasionally or just until they release their aroma. Cool slightly, then transfer them to a mortar or a spice grinder. Pound or grind the peppercorns to a mostly coarse grind with some finer specks but no large pieces.
Drain and reserve pasta water: When the pasta is done, set a colander over a bowl, and drain the pasta. You want to reserve 1 1/2 cups of the boiling pasta water in a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl.
Make the sauce: Do this part quickly! Return the pasta to the cooking pot and add 1/3 cup reserved pasta water. Set the pot on the burner but don’t turn the burner on. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cheese, 2 teaspoons pepper, and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Use tongs or a pasta spork to stir vigorously to combine the ingredients. Add another splash of reserved pasta water and another 1/3 of the cheese and continue to stir to coat the noodles evenly. The sauce should look smooth and creamy. Add more cooking water, a splash at a time (if necessary) to loosen the sauce. You may not use all of the pasta water.
Serve: Transfer the pasta to individual bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of reserved pecorino and a pinch of pepper and serve.

Video

Notes

Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.