Cacio e Pepe Pasta
The Roman classic — pasta with aged cheese, black pepper, and starchy pasta water. Three ingredients, extraordinary result.
Medium · 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 300g spaghetti or tonnarelli
- 100g parmesan or pecorino romano, finely grated
- 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- Salt for pasta water
Steps
- Toast black pepper in dry pan 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
- Cook pasta in well-salted water. Save 1 cup starchy pasta water.
- Drain pasta leaving some water. Add to pan with pepper over medium heat.
- Remove from heat. Add cheese and 1/4 cup pasta water.
- Toss vigorously and quickly until creamy. Add more pasta water as needed.
- Serve immediately.
Why this works
The starch in pasta water emulsifies with the fat in the cheese to create a creamy sauce without cream. Temperature control is everything.