Cacio e Pepe
Rome’s classic pasta combination of spaghetti, pecorino cheese, and black pepper can be a bit tricky to make at home but give it a whirl. All it takes is a little practice and some elbow grease to make a luscious, cheesy dish of pasta. Spaghetti and tonnarelli—thick, square-cut noodles—are my two favorite shapes, but rigatoni and bucatini (fat, hollow noodles) are also good.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound package spaghetti, tonnarelli or bucatini pasta
- 4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
Instructions
- Salt the water: Fill a large pot with water, and set it over high heat. Bring it to a boil and add two teaspoons of salt.
- Boil the pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling water, reduce heat to medium high and cook according to package instructions until the pasta al dente.
- Grate the cheese: While the pasta is cooking, grate the cheese with a microplane or on the small star holes of a box grater. You should have about 3 cups of very fluffy cheese.
- Toast and grind the peppercorns: In a small skillet set over medium-high heat, add the peppercorns. Toast the peppercorns, stirring occasionally or just until they release their aroma. Cool slightly, then transfer them to a mortar or a spice grinder. Pound or grind the peppercorns to a mostly coarse grind with some finer specks but no large pieces.
- Drain and reserve pasta water: When the pasta is done, set a colander over a bowl, and drain the pasta. You want to reserve 1 1/2 cups of the boiling pasta water in a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl.
- Make the sauce: Do this part quickly! Return the pasta to the cooking pot and add 1/3 cup reserved pasta water. Set the pot on the burner but don’t turn the burner on. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cheese, 2 teaspoons pepper, and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Use tongs or a pasta spork to stir vigorously to combine the ingredients. Add another splash of reserved pasta water and another 1/3 of the cheese and continue to stir to coat the noodles evenly. The sauce should look smooth and creamy. Add more cooking water, a splash at a time (if necessary) to loosen the sauce. You may not use all of the pasta water.
- Serve: Transfer the pasta to individual bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of reserved pecorino and a pinch of pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
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Nutrition
Calories: 357.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.2g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 19.7mg | Sodium: 1006.8mg | Potassium: 207.1mg | Fiber: 2.8g | Sugar: 2.2g | Vitamin A: 87.6IU | Calcium: 224.8mg | Iron: 1.3mg
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