Cacio e Pepe
Just pasta, pecorino romano, black pepper, and starchy pasta water, tossed off-heat into a smooth emulsion — one of Rome's four classic pastas, notoriously easy to ruin by adding the cheese to a pan that's too hot.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 lb tonnarelli or spaghetti
- 1 1/2 cups pecorino romano, finely grated
- 2 tsp whole black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Toast the cracked black pepper in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant.
- Cook the pasta in generously salted water until just shy of al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Whisk about half the grated pecorino with a splash of pasta water into a smooth, loose paste in a bowl.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the toasted pepper, along with a ladle of pasta water, tossing over low heat.
- Remove from heat and add the pecorino paste, tossing constantly and adding more pasta water as needed, until a smooth, creamy sauce coats the pasta.
- Stir in the remaining pecorino off the heat, working quickly so the cheese doesn't clump, and serve immediately.