Cacio e Pepe

This cacio e pepe is the classic Roman pasta made with just three ingredients - spaghetti, Pecorino Romano, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. The starchy pasta water and finely grated pecorino emulsify into a silky, glossy sauce that coats every strand, with no cream and no butter needed.

Cacio e pepe is the pasta I make when there is nothing in the fridge and I still want something that tastes like a real dinner. It is a Roman classic built on three ingredients I always have on hand, and the whole thing comes together in about twenty minutes, most of which is just waiting for pasta to cook.

What makes it work is not a long ingredient list but the technique - starchy pasta water and finely grated pecorino whisked into a cream that turns glossy the moment it hits the hot pasta. If you like simple Italian pasta dishes like my pasta alla norma or my lemon garlic pasta, this one belongs in the same rotation.

Cacio e Pepe Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this cacio e pepe recipe:

• Spaghetti: My choice for this dish and what I'd recommend. It's easy to find, it holds the sauce beautifully, and there's a reason it's one of the two shapes traditionally used for cacio e pepe in Rome. Tonnarelli is the other, and bucatini works too, but spaghetti gives you a great result with no hunting around. Whatever you use, go for a good-quality dried pasta - bronze-cut varieties have a rougher surface that helps the sauce cling.
• Pecorino Romano: The heart of the dish and the source of nearly all its flavor. It's a sharp, salty sheep's milk cheese, and it's what gives cacio e pepe its distinctive tang. Buy it in a block and grate it yourself on a Microplane - pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that stop it from melting smoothly, which is the single most common reason this dish fails. If you can't find pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano works with the same method, though the result will be milder and less sharp. A 50/50 blend of the two is a nice middle ground.
• Black pepper: Not a background seasoning here but a headline ingredient, so use whole peppercorns and grind them fresh on a coarse setting. Pre-ground pepper has lost most of its aromatic oils and will taste flat and dusty in a dish that leans on it this heavily. Two teaspoons sounds like a lot, and it is - that's the point.
• Pasta water: The unofficial fourth ingredient. As the spaghetti cooks it releases starch into the water, and that starch is what allows the cheese and water to emulsify into a sauce instead of separating into a greasy mess. Save more than you think you need.

How to Make Cacio e Pepe

1. Cook the pasta first. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly, since pecorino is very salty. Add the spaghetti and cook one minute short of the package al dente time. Most importantly, keep plenty of the starchy cooking water - you'll need it twice.
2. Grate the pecorino while the pasta cooks. Use a Microplane or the smallest holes on a box grater. It should look light and almost powdery, because coarse shreds won't dissolve.
3. Toast the pepper. Grind the pepper coarsely into a small bowl, then add it to a large, dry skillet. Toast over medium heat for about a minute, swirling, until fragrant. Then turn the heat down to low - it makes the pepper taste rounder and less harsh.
4. Build the pepper bath. With the heat on low, carefully ladle about half a cup of pasta water into the skillet. Let it bubble gently for thirty seconds.
5. Finish the pasta in the pan. Use tongs to move the spaghetti into the skillet and toss over low heat for a minute or two, adding pasta water as needed. Then taste a strand - it should be al dente now, since once the cheese goes in there's no more cooking to be done.
6. Make the pecorino cream. Take the skillet off the heat. Ladle about half a cup of pasta water into a bowl and let it sit briefly - warm, not piping hot, or the cheese will seize. Whisk in all of the pecorino until smooth.
7. Emulsify. Pour the cream over the pasta and toss vigorously, adding pasta water bit by bit. After about a minute the sauce turns glossy and clings to the strands.
8. Serve right away. Divide between bowls and finish with more cracked pepper and pecorino.

Tips & Notes

• Grate the cheese as finely as you possibly can. I know I've said this already, but it really is the difference between a silky sauce and a clumpy one. A Microplane is the right tool, and the cheese should look like a soft pile of snow rather than shreds.
• Watch your water temperature. This is where cacio e pepe most often goes wrong. Boiling water hitting pecorino will cause the proteins to tighten and separate immediately. Let the water cool for a moment off the heat before you whisk the cheese in, and make sure the pan is off the burner before the cream goes on the pasta.
• Use all the cheese in the cream. Rather than adding pecorino to the pan in stages, whisk the whole amount into the water first. It's more forgiving and gives you a smoother result, since you can fix any lumps in the bowl before it ever touches the pasta.
• Taste the pasta before you add the sauce. Once the pecorino cream goes in, the dish is essentially finished - you can't keep simmering it to soften the pasta without breaking the sauce. Check the texture at the end of step five.
• Keep the heat low when adding water to the pepper. A hot dry pan plus a ladle of water equals a lot of splashing. Turn the heat down first.
• Add pasta water gradually while tossing. The sauce should coat the strands rather than sit in a puddle. If it looks tight or claggy, another splash of water and more vigorous tossing will loosen it back into something glossy.

How to Serve Cacio e Pepe

• On its own, as a first course or a light dinner. This is how I eat it and how it's traditionally served in Rome - as a primo, in a modest portion, with nothing competing for attention. The dish is rich enough that a smaller serving goes a long way.
• With crusty bread. A slice of focaccia or ciabatta on the side is perfect for catching whatever sauce is left in the bowl.
• With a simple green salad. Peppery arugula dressed with lemon juice and olive oil cuts through the richness beautifully and takes two minutes to throw together.

Variations

• Add a protein. Cacio e pepe is a natural base for something simple alongside it - grilled chicken, seared shrimp, or a few meatballs turn it from a first course into a full dinner without changing the pasta itself.
• Swap the pasta shape. Spaghetti is what I use and it works perfectly, but tonnarelli is the other traditional Roman option and bucatini is nice if you like a chewier bite. Linguine and fettuccine work as well - just adjust the cooking time since thicker strands take longer.
• Use parmesan or a blend. Pecorino gives the sharpest, most authentic result, but Parmigiano Reggiano is a fine substitute if that's what you have. A mix of the two is milder than straight pecorino while still tasting distinctly of cacio e pepe.
• Dial the pepper up or down. Two teaspoons gives a noticeable but balanced heat. If you want the pepper to be the loudest thing in the bowl, go up to a tablespoon - and if you're pepper-shy, start with one teaspoon and add more at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Simple Italian Pasta Recipes

If you loved this cacio e pepe, here are a few more pasta recipes worth keeping in your rotation:

• Pasta alla Norma
• Lemon Garlic Pasta
• Tomato Basil Pasta
• Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
• Rigatoni Bolognese