Cacio e Pepe
The classic Roman pasta made from just Pecorino Romano, freshly ground black pepper, and pasta water. Only three ingredients, but the trick is emulsifying the cheese with the starchy water into a silky, cream-like sauce — a rich cheese pasta with no butter and no cream.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti · or tonnarelli, bucatini200 g
- Pecorino Romano · finely grated100 g
- Black peppercorns · freshly, coarsely ground2 tsp
- Pasta water · starchy cooking water1 cup
- Salt · for the pasta water
Steps
- ⏲ 2 min
Stir a little pasta water into the grated Pecorino to make a thick, lump-free paste. Set aside.
- ⏲ 8 min
Cook the spaghetti in salted water to one minute short of al dente, reserving plenty of pasta water.
- ⏲ 2 min
Toast the coarsely ground pepper briefly in a dry pan to release its aroma, then add a ladle of pasta water and let it bubble.
- ⏲ 2 min
Add the pasta to the pan and toss, adding pasta water bit by bit as it finishes cooking.
- ⏲ 2 min
Off the heat, let the pan cool for a moment, then add the cheese paste and toss quickly, loosening with pasta water until creamy. Serve at once.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Parmesan blend: If the Pecorino is too sharp, mix in half Parmigiano.
- Bucatini cacio e pepe: Use thick, hollow bucatini.
- Gricia / Carbonara: Add guanciale for gricia, plus egg for carbonara.
- Lemon cacio e pepe: Brighten it with lemon zest.
Tips
- The starch in the pasta water emulsifies the cheese into silk — no cream needed.
- Add the cheese off the heat, after the pan cools slightly, or it seizes into clumps.
- Freshly, coarsely grind the pepper and toast it in a dry pan for big aroma.
- Grate the Pecorino yourself and serve immediately.
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