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Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe is a classic Roman pasta made with just three ingredients—pasta, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. Simple yet full of flavor, it’s creamy, comforting, and timeless.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients
  

  • ½ tsp ground black peppercorns
  • cups Pecorino Romano grated
  • 2 cup spaghetti or tonnarelli
  • Salt for the pasta water

Method
 

  1. In a pot, bring water to boil. Make sure the water doesn't fill the pot - it should be shallow (ie. a lot less than the normal amount of water you would use to boil pasta). Lightly salt the water when it comes to a boil.
  2. In the mean time, finely grate the pecorino
  3. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook it for half of the amount of time indicated on the box. It will finish cooking in the pan.
  4. While the pasta is cooking, heat a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the 1.5 teaspoon of pepper and toast it, maximum one minute. You should smell the aroma of black pepper, but don't burn it.
  5. Once the pepper is toasted add a ladle of pasta water to the pan.
  6. Boil the pasta for half the amount of time that the package indicates (eg. if it says, 10 minutes on the package, boil it for 5 minutes). Add the pasta to the pan (it will finish cooking in the pan - this process is called "risottare" 
  7. Over medium heat, let the pasta finish cooking in the pan. Move it around with tongs, and by shaking the pan when it is cooking. Add pasta water as needed.
  8. While the pasta is cooking in the pan, add a small amount of pasta water to the grated pecorino. With a fork, mix the pasta water in until the mixture forms a paste. Set it aside.
  9. When the pasta is al dente, remove the pasta from the heat. Wait 30 seconds, and add the pecorino mixture to the pan, and stir quickly with tongs. A beautiful creamy consistency should form between the pecorino and the starchy liquid in the pan.

Notes

Recipe Courtesy of: Pina Bresciani
https://pinabresciani.com/authentic-cacio-e-pepe-recipe/#recipe 
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