Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe has nowhere to hide: pasta, Pecorino, pepper and the water the pasta cooked in. The only trick is getting the cheese to melt into a creamy sauce instead of seizing into rubbery strings, and for that we first turn it into a paste with warm water. Nail it once and you’ll be making it every week.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 510 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
For a milder flavour, swap a third of the Pecorino for Parmesan. For a strictly vegetarian dish you’ll need a hard cheese made without animal rennet, as traditional Pecorino Romano uses it.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prep the cheese
Grate the Pecorino on the finest grater and let it come to room temperature. The finer the cheese, the more easily it melts.
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Step 2: Cook pasta in less water
Bring 2 litres of water to a boil and add about 1 tsp salt per litre, less than usual since Pecorino is very salty. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet says; the water will turn cloudy with starch, which is exactly what we want.
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Step 3: Toast the pepper
Crush the peppercorns coarsely. Toast them in a dry wide frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant, then pour in 150 ml pasta water.
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Step 4: Finish in the pan
Lift the pasta with tongs into the pepper pan and cook for 2 more minutes, tossing and adding a splash of water if needed. You want a few spoonfuls of cloudy, starchy liquid left in the bottom.
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Step 5: Make a cheese paste
While the pasta finishes, mix the Pecorino in a bowl with 4–5 tbsp pasta water that has cooled for a minute, into a thick, smooth, cream-like paste.
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Step 6: Toss off the heat
Take the pan off the heat and wait 30 seconds. Add the cheese paste and toss vigorously with tongs for 1 minute, until the sauce is creamy and coats every strand. Too thick, add a spoonful of water; too loose, keep tossing. Serve at once.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Pecorino seizes into rubbery clumps when overheated, so never add it over the flame or pour boiling water over it.
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Swap
For a milder flavour, swap a third of the Pecorino for Parmesan. For a strictly vegetarian dish you’ll need a hard cheese made without animal rennet, as traditional Pecorino Romano uses it.
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Variation
Add 20 g butter to the toasted pepper; the sauce turns even creamier and much more forgiving.
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Storage
Cacio e pepe doesn’t reheat, as the sauce splits. Cook exactly as much as you’ll eat.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 510 kcal | 2,040 kcal |
| Protein | 26 g | 104 g |
| Fat | 13 g | 52 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g | 288 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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