Cacio e Pepe

Name: Cacio e Pepe
Total time: 20 min
Yield: For Two
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250 g spaghetti or tonnarelli; 1.5 cups grated Pecorino Romano; 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground; to taste salt

Cacio e pepe is a minimalist Roman pasta of just cheese, pepper, and pasta that tastes far greater than the sum of its parts. The name means cheese and pepper, and the magic is in turning them into a creamy, clinging sauce. It is fast, frugal, and deeply satisfying.

Italian Vegetarian Stovetop Dinner Budget Quick (15-min) 5-Ingredient 30-Minute Comfort Food Cheese Pasta

⏱ 20 min
📊 easy
🍽 For Two

Ingredients

250 g spaghetti or tonnarelli
1.5 cups grated Pecorino Romano
2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
to taste salt

Instructions

Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente, reserving plenty of pasta water.
Toast the ground black pepper in a dry pan until fragrant.
Add a ladle of pasta water to the pan to make it sizzle.

Mix the Pecorino with a little pasta water in a bowl to form a paste.
Add the drained pasta to the pan, then toss in the cheese paste off the heat with more pasta water until creamy.
Serve immediately with extra pepper and cheese.

💡 Chef's tip

Toast the black pepper in the dry pan first to bloom its aroma, then build the sauce in the same pan for the fullest flavor.

The silky sauce relies entirely on starchy pasta water emulsifying with the Pecorino; getting the water-to-cheese balance right is what prevents clumping and creates the creamy coating.