Easy Cacio e Pepe

How to make an authentic and easy Cacio e Pepe with just a few ingredients. This delicious pasta is perfectly al dente with a creamy, black pepper cheese sauce.

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pasta, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Lora

Ingredients

1 pound of pasta I use bucatini but you could use spaghetti
sea salt for the pasta water
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ cups Pecorino Romano finely grated
3 Tablespoons butter optional

Instructions

Boil the pasta water: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil (just add 2 teaspoons of salt) water to a boil. Use less water to cook the pasta than you normally would, so the water will be more starchy. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally.
Grate the cheese: Finely grate the Pecorino Romano and add it to a bowl. Add in a cup of the starchy water from the boiling pasta to the cheese. Stir together to make a paste and set aside.
Toast the black pepper: In a large pan, add the freshly ground pepper on medium heat. Toast it for just a few seconds (make sure to toss the pepper while it’s toasting. It will burn quickly and the fumes are awful).
Add the butter and some starchy water: If using the butter, now is the time to add it to the pan and melt it combining it with the pepper. Ladle in ½ cup of the pasta water and bring it to a simmer while the pasta is cooking. Turn off the heat.
Drain the pasta: Cook the pasta until it’s just before al dente (about 1-2 minutes before it’s ready). Drain the pasta, reserving some more of the pasta water (about ½ cup should be fine).
Combine with the cheese: Add the Pecorino mixture immediately to the pan with the pasta and use tongs to combine . Stir it continuously until a smooth and creamy cheese sauce is created. Keep stirring until it will turn into a smooth and creamy sauce. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be glossy and not thin. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of the pasta water and stir.
Serve pasta: Plate up the pasta as soon as it’s ready. Grind on some more black pepper and a dusting of Pecorino, if you like. This pasta is extra delicious served hot. Enjoy immediately!

Nutrition