Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

• 500 g spaghetti or tonnarelli
• 200 g Pecorino Romano (grated as fine as possible)
• 1.5 tbsp black peppercorns (freshly cracked or ground with a mortar and pestle)
• olive oil (for the sauce)
• salt (for pasta water; use sparingly)
• water (for boiling pasta and creating the sauce emulsion)

Steps

1. 1

   Freshly crack the black peppercorns or grind them with a mortar and pestle until they are coarse but not too fine.

2. 2

   Toast the cracked pepper in a dry pan on low heat for a few minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.

3. 3

   Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a small amount of salt (not too much, as the cheese is salty) and cook the pasta until very al dente, about 7 minutes.

4. 4

   While the pasta cooks, grate the Pecorino Romano as fine as possible and set it aside.

5. 5

   Add a splash of olive oil and a small amount of pasta water to the toasted peppercorns in the pan.

6. 6

   After a few minutes, transfer the al dente pasta directly into the pan with the peppercorns, along with an additional splash of pasta water.

7. 7

   Mix the pasta and water vigorously over heat so the starch and oil begin to emulsify and become creamy.

8. 8

   Turn off the heat. This is crucial to prevent the cheese from clumping.

9. 9

   Add in almost all of the grated Pecorino Romano together with a bit more pasta water. Stir constantly until a smooth, creamy sauce forms that coats the pasta.

10. 10

    Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining Pecorino Romano.

Notes

The key to a creamy Cacio e Pepe is the starch in the pasta water and adding the cheese off the heat to ensure it melts into a sauce rather than clumping. Use less salt in the pasta water than usual because Pecorino Romano is a very salty cheese.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• vegetarian
• quick
• easy
• dinner
• classic