Three ingredients, no cheese sauce in sight: just pecorino, freshly ground black pepper and the starchy cooking water of the pasta, emulsified to a creamy, glossy sauce. The simplest and at the same time the trickiest pasta in Rome to get really right.
Cacio e pepe
Region: Lazio
Cacio e pepe
Region: Lazio
Method
01
Toast the pepper
Briefly toast the freshly ground pepper in a dry pan over a medium heat until fragrant, approx. 1 minute. Set aside.
02
Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta in plenty of moderately salted water (less salt than usual; the pecorino is already salty) until al dente. Before draining, keep at least 300 ml of the cooking water.
03
Make the cheese paste
In a bowl, mix the grated pecorino with a splash of cooking water to a thick, smooth paste without lumps. This stops the cheese clumping in the pan later.
04
Emulsify
Drain the pasta (keep the cooking water) and return it to the pan, off the heat. Add the toasted pepper and a splash of cooking water and stir. Add the cheese paste and mix vigorously, adding extra cooking water little by little, until you have a creamy, glossy sauce that coats the pasta.
05
Serve
Divide immediately between warm plates and finish with extra pecorino and freshly ground pepper.
Tips & notes
Always work off the heat and with cheese that has first been mixed with some cooking water; sprinkling cheese straight into a hot pan is guaranteed to give lumps instead of a smooth sauce. Gone too dry? Add another splash of cooking water, never more cheese in dry form. Cacio e pepe is best straight after making; the sauce turns lumpy when reheated.
Variations
- Add cubes of guanciale, briefly fried, for something halfway towards amatriciana.
- Mix some Parmigiano Reggiano through the pecorino for a slightly milder, less sharp sauce.
Contains:
Gluten
Milk
Serve with
| Calories | 303 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
