Cacio e Pepe

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Bring about 2 litres of water to the boil in a large pot. Season the water with the salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve 250 ml of the starchy cooking water before draining.

   200 g Spaghetti20 g for the cooking water Salt
2. 2

   Toast the coarsely ground black pepper in a large dry frying pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until intensely fragrant. Add 100 ml of the reserved cooking water and simmer briefly.

   2 tsp Black pepper, coarsely ground
3. 3

   In a bowl, stir the finely grated Pecorino Romano with 80 to 100 ml of warm cooking water to make a smooth, thick cream. The water must not be boiling hot, or the cheese may curdle.

   80 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
4. 4

   Add the drained spaghetti to the pan and toss vigorously. Remove the pan from the heat, fold in the Pecorino cream, and gradually incorporate more cooking water until the glossy, silky sauce coats the pasta. Do not heat it vigorously again.

5. 5

   Serve immediately on warmed plates, with a little extra pepper and Pecorino if desired.

Origin & History

Cacio e pepe comes from Rome and is one of the celebrated pasta dishes of Roman cuisine. The simple combination of Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and pasta probably developed from the nourishing food of Roman shepherds and laborers.