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Cacio e Pepe

Roman cacio e pepe with just pasta, Pecorino Romano and black pepper, emulsified into a glossy, creamy sauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g tonnarelli or spaghetti
  • 150 g Pecorino Romano very finely grated
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns coarsely crushed
  • Salt

Method
 

  1. Toast the crushed pepper in a dry, wide frying pan for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Cook the pasta in less water than usual, lightly salted, so the water becomes starchy.
  3. Add a ladle of pasta water to the pepper pan and let it simmer.
  4. In a bowl, mix the Pecorino with a few spoonfuls of lukewarm pasta water to a thick paste.
  5. Transfer the pasta, slightly undercooked, to the pepper pan and toss for 1 minute.
  6. Take the pan off the heat, add the cheese paste and toss vigorously, adding splashes of water until the sauce is creamy. Serve immediately.

Notes

If the cheese clumps, the pan is too hot. Let it cool for 30 seconds and keep tossing with a little lukewarm water.