Cacio e pepe
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Pasta and sauce
- 320 g tonnarelli or thick spaghetti rounded
- 160 g Pecorino Romano, grated to a very fine powder rounded
- 5 g black pepper, coarsely ground rounded
- 250 ml starchy cooking water, reserve at least 350 ml and use as needed rounded
- to taste fine salt, for the pasta water, used sparingly rounded
Method
Method
- Bring a wide pot of water to the boil. Use less water than for ordinary pasta so it becomes especially starchy, and salt it lightly because Pecorino Romano is salty. Add the tonnarelli and stir well.
- Toast the black pepper in a dry 30 cm skillet over medium heat for 45 to 60 seconds, until fragrant. Add 120 ml pasta water and simmer for 1 minute to extract the pepper.
- When the pasta is about 3 minutes short of al dente, reserve at least 350 ml cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the pepper skillet and cook over medium heat, tossing and adding small splashes of water, until al dente and surrounded by a thin starchy glaze.
- Meanwhile, put the finely grated Pecorino in a bowl. Let 120 ml reserved cooking water cool to about 60°C, when it is warm but no longer actively steaming. Whisk it into the cheese a little at a time to make a smooth, thick paste. Scalding water tightens the cheese proteins and causes clumps.
- Take the skillet completely off the heat and wait 30 to 60 seconds. Add the Pecorino paste in three additions while tossing vigorously. Add more cooled cooking water 15 ml at a time until the sauce is glossy and flowing. Never add the cheese directly to a fiercely hot pan.
- Serve immediately in warm bowls with the pepper from the skillet. If the sauce tightens before serving, loosen it with one final spoonful of cooled pasta water.
Ingredient substitutions
- Pecorino Romano is the defining cheese and is widely available in Germany and Canada. Grate it from a wedge rather than using pre-grated cheese, which may contain anti-caking agents and clump more readily.
- If Pecorino is unavailable, replace up to half with finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano. The sauce will be milder, less salty, and no longer canonical cacio e pepe.
- Tonnarelli provide a rough, thick surface, but thick spaghetti works in both countries. Regular spaghetti cooks faster and may need less finishing water.
Notes
- Temperature is the critical variable. Water around 60°C can loosen finely grated cheese without the violent heat that makes it stringy. Use the absence of active steam as a practical cue if no thermometer is available.
- The traditional sauce contains no cream and no butter. Starch, cheese, pepper, and water create the emulsion.
- Cacio e pepe does not hold or reheat well. If leftovers are unavoidable, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 1 day, reheating gently with water while accepting a less smooth texture.