Recipes › Pasta › Cacio E Pepe Recipe

Cacio E Pepe Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Cacio e pepe is the quintessential Roman pasta dish, stripped down to just three core ingredients: cheese, black pepper, and pasta. This creamy, peppery masterpiece relies entirely on technique and quality ingredients to create an elegant sauce with no cream or egg. It's comfort food elevated to its simplest, most delicious form.

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) spaghetti or tonnarelli pasta
• 200g (7 oz) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons (12g) freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for finishing
• Salt for pasta water

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. The water should taste like seawater—this is crucial for proper pasta seasoning.

2. Toast the black pepper in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and coarsely crush with a pestle, leaving some texture.

3. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until 1-2 minutes before al dente, checking the package instructions. Reserve 2 cups (500ml) of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

4. Place a large warm bowl on the counter. Add the toasted ground black pepper to the bowl and pour in 1 cup (250ml) of the reserved pasta water, stirring to combine.

5. Add the hot, drained pasta to the pepper-water mixture and toss continuously for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and absorb the pepper water.

6. Remove the bowl from heat. Add the grated Pecorino Romano in three batches, tossing constantly between each addition. Add additional pasta water as needed, one tablespoon at a time, to create a silky, creamy sauce that coats each strand.

7. Plate immediately into warm bowls and finish with a generous grind of fresh black pepper and a light grating of additional Pecorino Romano.

Substitutions

• Use Pecorino Toscano instead of Pecorino Romano for a slightly milder flavor.
• Substitute half the Pecorino Romano with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for a less sharp sauce.
• For a lower-sodium version, rinse the grated cheese lightly under cold water to remove excess salt, though this will slightly affect the sauce texture.
• Use freshly cracked Tellicherry or Malabar black pepper for enhanced complexity over standard black pepper.

Tips

• Maintain a warm bowl temperature throughout the tossing process—cold bowls break the sauce emulsion. Preheat your serving bowls with hot water before draining.
• The sauce is a delicate emulsion dependent on temperature and starch. Work quickly and continuously toss to prevent clumping. If the sauce breaks, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time and toss vigorously to re-emulsify.
• Never use pre-grated cheese; the anti-caking agents prevent proper emulsification. Grate block cheese immediately before cooking.
• Finish cooking the pasta in the pepper-water mixture, not just in plain boiling water. This step is essential for proper flavor development and sauce adhesion.

Cacio e pepe originates from Rome and was traditionally eaten by shepherds and working-class Romans who carried dried pasta, cheese, and peppercorns while herding sheep in the Apennine Mountains. Today it remains a symbol of Roman culinary tradition and the philosophy of 'cucina povera'—the art of creating exquisite food from humble, humble ingredients.

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