Classic Roman Cacio e Pepe (Printable Version)

Roman pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. Simple, authentic, and incredibly flavorful.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti or tonnarelli

→ Cheese

02 - 4.2 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

→ Seasonings

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

→ Optional

05 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for extra creaminess

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then cook spaghetti until just al dente, approximately 1 minute less than package instructions. Reserve 1.5 cups of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, toast 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 drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, allowing the pasta to absorb some peppery water.
05 - Remove the skillet from heat. Gradually sprinkle Pecorino Romano while tossing and stirring vigorously to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time if sauce is too thick.
06 - If desired, add butter and toss until melted and emulsified throughout the pasta.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Pecorino Romano and additional cracked black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes less time than ordering takeout but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • Only four real ingredients, and you probably already have three of them.
  • Once you nail the technique, you'll feel like an actual Italian grandmother.
02 -
  • If your cheese clumps into a grainy mess, your pan was too hot when you added it, so always pull it off the heat first.
  • The pasta water is not optional, it's the emulsifier that makes everything creamy without a drop of cream.
03 -
  • Use a skillet, not a saucepan, because the wider surface helps the pasta water evaporate and the sauce thicken just right.
  • If the sauce breaks, add a splash of cold pasta water and toss like your life depends on it, it usually comes back together.
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