Cacio E Pepe

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Calories: 597kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

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.

Chef's Tips

Toast the pepper before adding any liquid — this blooms its oils and gives the dish a much deeper pepper flavour than adding it raw at the end.

Take the pan off direct high heat when tossing in the cheese — too hot and the pecorino will seize and clump instead of melting into a smooth sauce.

Add the pasta water in small splashes rather than all at once — it's much easier to loosen the sauce gradually than to recover one that's gone too thin.

Storage & Reheating

Best made fresh and eaten immediately, as the cheese sauce can split and turn grainy once cooled. If needed, leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days — reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or milk, stirring constantly, rather than in the microwave.

Serving 160gCalories 597kcalCarbohydrates 89.7gProtein 25.5gFat 14.7gSaturated Fat 8.9gPolyunsaturated Fat 0.69gMonounsaturated Fat 0.22gCholesterol 42.9mgSodium 744.9mgPotassium 300mgFiber 4.5gSugar 3.8gVitamin A 575IUCalcium 395mgIron 4.1mg