Classic Roman Cacio e Pepe (Printable)

Classic Roman pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper in a creamy, peppery sauce.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti or tonnarelli

→ Cheese

02 - 4.2 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

→ Seasonings

03 - 2 tsp whole black peppercorns, freshly cracked
04 - 1 tsp kosher salt for pasta water

→ Optional

05 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter for extra creaminess

# How to Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then cook the spaghetti until just al dente, approximately 1 minute less than package instructions. Reserve 1.5 cups of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, toast the freshly cracked black pepper in a large dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add 1 cup of reserved hot pasta water to the skillet with the pepper. Reduce heat to low.
04 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, allowing the pasta to absorb the peppery water.
05 - Remove the skillet from the heat. Gradually sprinkle in the Pecorino Romano, tossing and stirring vigorously to create a creamy sauce. Add more reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, if the sauce becomes too thick.
06 - If desired, add butter and toss until melted and fully emulsified.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with additional Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms four humble ingredients into something that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The creamy sauce requires no cream at all, just a little patience and pasta water magic.
  • You can have an elegant, restaurant-quality dinner on the table in the time it takes to boil water.
02 -
  • The skillet must be off the heat when you add the cheese, or it will seize into clumps instead of melting smoothly.
  • Toss constantly and vigorously, the motion is what emulsifies the cheese and water into a silky sauce.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, add a splash of hot pasta water and toss again; it almost always comes back together.
03 -
  • Use a microplane or the finest side of your grater for the Pecorino, the finer the grate, the easier it melts.
  • If you're nervous about the cheese clumping, whisk it with a few tablespoons of pasta water in a bowl first to make a loose paste, then add it to the skillet.
  • Toast your peppercorns just until fragrant, about a minute; any longer and they can turn bitter.
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