Cacio e Pepe
A classic Roman pasta dish made with just three core ingredients: pasta, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The technique is simple but requires attention to create the perfect creamy sauce.
Roman pasta tossed in a peppery Pecorino Romano sauce with no cream required.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
pasta
sauce
seasoning
Instructions
Toast and grind pepper
Toast whole black peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Crush them coarsely using a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy pan.
Cook the pasta
Boil pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Reserve at least 480ml of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
Bloom the pepper
In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add the crushed pepper and toast for 1 minute. Add 120ml of pasta water and let it simmer.
Create the cheese paste
In a bowl, mix the grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan with 3 to 4 tablespoons of warm pasta water to form a smooth paste. This step prevents the cheese from clumping.
Combine and emulsify
Add the drained pasta to the pepper skillet and toss. Remove from heat and add the cheese paste, tossing vigorously and adding pasta water gradually until a creamy sauce forms. Serve immediately.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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