Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)
Three ingredients. Centuries of Italian tradition. Cacio e pepe is the ultimate minimalist pasta — just pecorino cheese, black pepper, and pasta water creating a silky, peppery sauce. When you nail this, you’ll wonder why you ever reached for a jar.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 3 real ingredients — pasta, cheese, pepper
- Ready in the time it takes to boil pasta
- Bold, satisfying flavor from absolute simplicity
- Classic Roman recipe that impresses every time
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Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti or tonnarelli
- 1.5 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (use a mortar and pestle or coarse grind)
- Reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until 1 minute short of al dente. Reserve 1.5 cups of starchy pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, toast the black pepper in a dry large skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add 1 cup of pasta water to the pepper skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Transfer the not-quite-done pasta directly into the skillet. Toss constantly, adding pasta water a splash at a time, for 1-2 minutes until the pasta finishes cooking.
- Remove from heat. Add the grated pecorino a handful at a time, tossing vigorously to create a creamy emulsion. The sauce should be silky, not clumpy. Add more pasta water if needed. Serve immediately with extra pepper on top.
Recipe Tips
- The #1 mistake: adding cheese over heat. ALWAYS remove from heat first or the cheese will clump.
- Use Pecorino Romano, not Parmesan. The flavor and texture are completely different.
- Finely grate the cheese on a Microplane for the smoothest sauce.
- Starchy pasta water is essential — it’s the emulsifier. Don’t skip reserving it.
Calories: 480 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 52g
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Nutritional information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients used.
