Pasta & RiceDifficulty: easy
Cacio e Pepe (Roman Pecorino & Pepper Pasta)
The Roman classic: spaghetti tossed with a creamy emulsion of pecorino and black pepper. Simple, fast, perfect.
10
Prep Time
15
Cook Time
4
Servings
Ingredients
•400 g spaghetti
•8 g black pepper, coarsely ground
•180 g pecorino romano, very finely grate
•10 ml olive oil
•12 g fine salt (for pasta water)
Instructions
1Boil 4 L water with 12 g salt. Cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente; reserve 300 ml pasta water.
2In a wide pan, toast black pepper with olive oil on low for 30–40 sec. Add 200 ml hot pasta water; simmer 1 min.
3In a bowl, whisk pecorino with 80–100 ml hot pasta water to a thick paste.
4Transfer pasta to the pan; cook 1 min in the pepper water. Off heat, add the cheese paste and toss vigorously to emulsify, adding splashes of water as needed for a silky sauce.
5Serve immediately with extra pepper.