Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (Printable Version)

A Roman classic featuring spaghetti tossed with Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper for a creamy, savory sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti

→ Cheese & Spices

02 - 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
03 - 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra for serving

→ Others

04 - Salt for pasta water

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - In a large skillet over low heat, toast black pepper for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add approximately 1/2 cup of reserved hot pasta water to the skillet with pepper and let simmer.
04 - Add drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat evenly in the peppery water.
05 - Gradually sprinkle in Pecorino Romano while tossing and stirring vigorously until cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Add additional reserved pasta water as needed to achieve silky texture.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It uses only a handful of ingredients but tastes like you labored for hours in a trattoria.
  • The silky sauce clings to every strand of pasta without a drop of cream.
  • You can have it on the table in under half an hour, perfect for weeknight cravings.
  • Its impressive enough to serve guests but forgiving enough to make on autopilot.
02 -
  • Use only freshly grated Pecorino Romano, the pre-grated stuff contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly.
  • Work quickly when adding the cheese and keep the heat low, high heat will cause the cheese to seize and turn grainy instead of creamy.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need, you can always add more but you can't take it back once the pasta is drained.
03 -
  • Toast your pepper in the dry skillet first, the heat brings out oils and aromatics you'd never get from just grinding it over the top.
  • Keep the skillet off the heat or on the lowest setting when adding cheese, direct heat will cause it to break and turn greasy instead of creamy.
  • Use tongs to toss the pasta rather than a spoon, it helps you coat every strand evenly and aerates the sauce as you go.
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