Cacio E Pepe
Three ingredients, done properly. Spaghetti, cracked black pepper and pecorino Romano, turned into a silky sauce using nothing but starchy pasta water and technique.
Toasting the pepper before any liquid goes in blooms its oils and builds real depth, rather than just tasting sharp and raw. Pull the pan off direct heat before the cheese goes in too, too much heat and the pecorino seizes into clumps instead of melting smooth.
This one’s best made fresh, the sauce can split and turn grainy once it’s cooled and sat around. If you do have leftovers, they’ll keep in the fridge for 2 days, reheated gently in a pan with a splash of water or milk.
Cacio E Pepe
PASTA · DINNER · MEDIUM
A silky sauce from three ingredients
No cream, no butter, no flour. Just starchy pasta water and grated pecorino, emulsified into a sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti.
Toasting the cracked pepper for less than a minute before anything else hits the pan makes a real difference, it wakes up the oils and gives the whole dish a deeper, rounder pepper flavour.
It's on the table in 20 minutes, which makes it as good for a quick weeknight dinner as it is for showing off a proper Roman classic.
Cacio E Pepe
Ingredients
- 350 g Spaghetti
- 9 g Cracked Black Pepper
- 120 g Pecorino Romano Cheese Grated
- Pasta Water
- Salt To Taste
Method
- Place a large pot of water over high heat, boil, and generously season with sea salt flakes. Add the spaghetti and cook as per the packet instructions.
- Place a pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the cracked black pepper and gently toast for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Once the pasta is cooked, add 1 cup of the pasta water and gently simmer for 1½-2 minutes.
- Add the pasta straight from the pot into the pan (bringing some water over is fine). Add the cheese and toss to combine. Add small amounts of extra pasta water to obtain your desired creamy consistency (see video for recommendations).
- Serve in bowls or plates. Grate over fresh pecorino Romano cheese and season with cracked black pepper. Dig in.
Why does the pan need to come off the heat before adding the cheese?⌄
Pecorino is a hard, low-moisture cheese, and too much direct heat makes it seize into stringy clumps instead of melting smoothly. Off the heat, the residual warmth is enough to melt it into the sauce.
Can I use parmesan instead of pecorino?⌄
You can, though the flavour will be milder and less tangy than traditional pecorino Romano. A mix of the two is a good middle ground if you want to stretch what's in the fridge.
Can I freeze cacio e pepe?⌄
It's not recommended. The emulsified cheese sauce will split and turn grainy once frozen and thawed. This one's best made fresh, or kept in the fridge for up to 2 days at most.
Why do I need the pasta water?⌄
It's the starch in the water that lets the cheese and pepper emulsify into a smooth sauce instead of clumping or sliding off the pasta. Plain water won't do the same job.
