Classic Roman Cacio e Pepe (Printable)

Roman pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and cracked black pepper - bold flavors from minimal ingredients.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

→ Optional

05 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for extra creaminess

# Directions:

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 approximately 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 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 is too thick.
06 - If desired, add butter and toss until melted and emulsified.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Pecorino Romano and additional cracked black pepper.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Four ingredients become a restaurant-quality dish that tastes like pure comfort.
  • Ready in 25 minutes but feels like something you spent all afternoon perfecting.
  • The creamy sauce happens through pure technique, no cream required, which somehow makes it taste even better.
02 -
  • The heat must be off when you add the cheese, or the high temperature will seize the cheese and you'll get a grainy, clumpy mess instead of a creamy sauce.
  • Pasta water is everything in this dish; reserve it before you drain the pasta and keep it hot nearby for last-minute adjustments.
03 -
  • Keep the bowl and tongs warm by running hot water over them before you start; cold equipment cools down the pasta faster than you'd expect.
  • If you crack your pepper ahead of time, toast it right before the pasta goes in so you capture those fresh aromatics at their peak.
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