Cacio e Pepe
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Cacio e pepe, or pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh black pepper, proves that simple is often best.
One of the simplest pasta dishes in existence, cacio e pepe is a Roman classic that translates to “cheese and pepper.” Pronounced kaa-chee-ow-ee-peh-pay, it traditionally consists of just three ingredients: coarsely ground black pepper, finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and pasta. However, many variations also introduce a bit of olive oil, butter, or cream. The magic happens when some of the starchy, salty pasta cooking water is added to these basic ingredients to make a rich, creamy sauce. Think of it as straightforward, peppery Italian mac and cheese. This version is adapted from That Noodle Life: Soulful, Savory, Spicy, Slurpy by Mike and Stephanie Le from iamafoodblog. Designed to serve two, it’s the perfect no-food-in-the-house dinner or late-night snack to throw together on a whim. But it can easily be doubled if needed.
The original recipe in the book is made using the traditional method of slowly adding the cheese and pasta water to the cooked noodles, stirring constantly to emulsify the sauce. Mastering this technique takes practice, as the cheese tends to clump up and stick to the pan if it gets too hot. To ensure a consistently creamy sauce, I borrow a trick from Italian chef Luciano Monosilio and blitz the pasta water and cheese in a blender before adding it to the pasta. You still have to be careful not to overheat the sauce, but not nearly as much so.
What You’ll Need To Make Cacio e Pepe
Pasta: The recipe calls for either bucatini (also known as perciatelli) or spaghetti. Bucatini resembles spaghetti but is slightly thicker and has a small hole that runs through the center, so it is essentially hollow spaghetti (buco actually translates to “hole”). Bucatini is ideal for soaking up the sauce, but spaghetti is a great alternative if you can’t find it.
Cheese: Pecorino Romano is a salty, sharp-flavored cheese made from sheep’s milk. It can be found in most supermarkets near the Parmigiano-Reggiano. While the two cheeses are sometimes interchangeable in recipes, I recommend sticking with the Pecorino Romano here, as it has a bolder flavor.
Pepper: Make sure to use freshly ground black pepper – it’s significantly more flavorful than pre-ground pepper – and set your grinder to the coarsest setting. As for the amount, I’ve given a range depending on how peppery you like your pasta.
Butter: While not a traditional ingredient in cacio e pepe, the butter is used to “bloom” the fresh ground pepper before mixing it in with the pasta. It also makes for a creamier sauce without diluting the other flavors.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a Dutch oven or large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
Set the same pot over low heat and melt the butter. Add the pepper.
Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss to coat evenly. Remove the pot from the heat.
In a blender, combine the cheese and ⅔ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Blend until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds.
Add the sauce to the pasta in the pot and toss with tongs.
Place the pot back over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with the tongs, until the sauce is the consistency of a thin cream sauce, a few minutes. Add more of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce only if necessary. Be careful at this stage: if the sauce gets too hot, it will start to clump up and stick to the pot and tongs.
Once the sauce is the right consistency, immediately transfer the pasta to bowls and serve. Pass more cheese and pepper at the table, if desired.
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Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe, or pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh black pepper, proves that simple is often best.
Ingredients
- Salt
- 8 oz bucatini or spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ - 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, depending on how peppery you like your pasta
- 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
- Set the same pot over low heat and melt the butter. Add the pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss to coat evenly. Remove the pot from the heat.
- In a blender, combine the cheese and ⅔ cup of the pasta cooking water. Blend until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds. Add the sauce to the pasta in the pot and toss with tongs. Place the pot back over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with the tongs, until the sauce is the consistency of a thin cream sauce, a few minutes. Add more of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce only if necessary. Be careful at this stage: if the sauce gets too hot, it will start to clump up and stick to the pot and tongs. Once the sauce is the right consistency, immediately transfer the pasta to bowls and serve. Pass more cheese and pepper at the table, if desired.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (2 servings)
- Calories: 785
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 89 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 36 g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
I have tried two previous times to make Cacio e Pepe, both times with the same result. I found your blog, and read your recipe, and tried one more time. Eureka! I have always struggled with this sauce, but using the blender is genius. Thanks for the recipe and chef secret!
Jenn – I love you dearly and appreciate all your recipes (and testing) but this failed for me. After making this for years with a different recipe decided to make yours. The cheese congealed while stirring the pasta. I followed it exactly, microplaned good Pecorino, blah blah. It was still edible but not its usual loveliness. Any ideas?
Your friend and follower.
Amy
Hi Amy, thanks for your sweet words about the recipes – so sorry this one was a flop for you! This recipe is the most foolproof method I know for preventing the cheese from congealing, so it’s a bit of a head scratcher for me. The only thing I can think of is that the cheese sauce may have gotten too hot. If you’ve used another recipe and have had success with it, as much as I hate to point you away from the blog, you may want to stick with that one. xo
Hi Jenn
Question: Taking this dish to cooking club potluck. How do I reheat it.
Can I add parsley. What about heavy cream.
Thanks, Rose
Hi Rose, this is honestly not the best dish to take to a potluck, as it’s definitely best if eaten right after it’s prepared. That said, I’d microwave it briefly; just enough to reheat it. You could add a touch of cream, but not sure it will give you that saucy consistency again. Another option that’s somewhat similar and would do much better at a potluck is my mac & cheese.
Thanks Jenn, good advice
Rose
I’ve never made this dish because there were so many conflicting arguments about what is “correct”, always ending with people complaining that the cheese broke or got gloopy.
Jen to the rescue!
The blending (I used a food processor) made the cheese melt effortlessly. No clumping, and it stirred beautifully into the spaghetti.
Perfection!
I loved the result but was wondering if there’s a different way to incorporate the cheese and pasta water without having to use a blender. I used an immersion blender but the cheese did not mix in smoothly. I will have to keep experimenting! 🙂
Hi Lulu, you really need a blender for this. If you have a food processor, that would work too.
Why did it end up watery? How long should I be mixing the cheese sauce with the noodles?
Hi Carolina, sorry to hear the sauce ended up watery. You should be tossing the pasta with the sauce until it gets to the consistency of a thin cream sauce, which usually takes 2 to 3 minutes. Did you add any additional pasta water to the sauce? If so, it could be that you added too much.
Delicious
Why haven’t I made this before?! This was super easy and so good! I served it with your lemon arugula salad – delicious!
Would I need to adjust anything in the recipe (beside the ingredients) if I want to double this recipe? There are three of us, but our 7 year old eats like an adult.
Thank you!
No, you wouldn’t need to do anything other than doubling the ingredients. Hope everyone enjoys!
Delicious! Easy. I added shrimp at the end and it was even better. Family thought it abit too peppery but still gobbled it down. Next time will use 1/2 the pepper and they can add if wanted at the table. A keeper!