Cacio e Pepe Recipe

5 from 1 vote

The magic of this easy Cacio e Pepe Recipe comes from emulsifying the pasta water with finely grated cheese to create a silky, creamy sauce without any cream. Ready in under 20 minutes, this quick Italian pasta is perfect for busy weeknights or elegant dinners alike.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheese, Easy Pasta Dinner, pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 644kcal

Author: Tara Noland

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta I recommend a good quality Bucatini or spaghetti
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese very finely grated, plus more for garnish
1 cup pasta water

Instructions

Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese. Use the “rasp” side of the box grater or the side with the tiniest holes. You want your cheese to be very finely grated. You could also use a zester if you don’t have a box grater available. Make sure you have extra for garnish and, if you need it, for the sauce. Set the cheese aside.
Grate the black pepper and place it in a saucier pan or high-sided skillet. You can toast this if you like.
Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water (do not salt the water) and cook as per the package directions or to your desired consistency. You want the pasta completely cooked, as it is not going to cook in the sauce.
Place 2 plates or pasta bowls in a warming drawer or warm oven. You want to serve the pasta in a warm dish.
When the pasta is almost finished cooking, spoon a 1/4 cup of the boiling pasta water into the saucier pan with the freshly ground black pepper. Rotate to warm the pan. DO NOT turn the heat on under the saucier pan; you only want it warm, not hot.
Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it directly into the saucier pan, add the 4 ounces of very finely grated cheese and ladle 1/2 a cup of the hot pasta water on top.
Using a wooden spoon or a large pair of kitchen tweezers, vigorously mix the pasta, water, and cheese in the pan. The cheese should melt into the hot pasta water to form a creamy sauce. It may take 30 seconds to a minute of vigorous mixing for the sauce to come together and for the pasta to be nicely coated with the sauce. You can add a small amount of additional pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed, or more cheese if it is too loose.
Once the sauce is nice and creamy, use the kitchen tweezers to twirl the pasta onto two warmed plates or pasta bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of additional Pecorino Romano and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

See the post for more information, photos and tips.

Nutrition