Pesto Pastaria mascotPesto Pastaria
Start Academy
All recipes

Lazio · Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe

Three ingredients, infinite technique. Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and starchy water.

Total

20 min

Prep

5 min

Cook

15 min

Serves

4

EasyRomanVegetarian3-ingredientShepherd's dish
Cacio e Pepe — Cacio e Pepe

The Story

Where it comes from

Cacio e pepe — 'cheese and pepper' — is the dish Roman shepherds carried in their saddlebags: aged pecorino, peppercorns, dried pasta. The simplicity is deceptive. The entire dish hinges on building a cheese cream from nothing but starchy water and friction. When it works, it's the most elegant plate of pasta ever invented.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Tonnarelli (or spaghetti)

    thick, square-cut egg pasta works best

    400 g

For the sauce

  • Pecorino Romano DOP

    finely grated, room temp

    200 g

  • Black peppercorns

    freshly cracked, medium-coarse

    1 tbsp

Equipment

Wide skilletFine graterWhisk

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Boil minimal water

    6 min

    Use only 2 L of water for 400 g pasta — you want it extra-starchy. Salt very lightly; pecorino is salty enough.

  2. 2

    Toast the pepper

    Crack peppercorns coarse. Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add a ladle of pasta water — it will hiss into a peppery broth.

  3. 3

    Cook pasta short

    7 min

    Drop pasta. Cook 2 minutes under al dente — it'll finish in the pan.

  4. 4

    Build the cheese cream

    In a separate bowl, whisk pecorino with 3 tbsp of warm (not hot!) pasta water into a smooth, thick paste. The texture should resemble wet sand turning to cream.

    Chef's note · If the water is too hot, the cheese clumps. Aim for the temperature of a warm bath.

  5. 5

    Finish in the pan

    Drain pasta into the pepper pan with a splash of water. Toss 30 seconds off heat. Add the cheese cream and toss vigorously, lifting the pasta to introduce air. Loosen with more pasta water until glossy.

  6. 6

    Plate immediately

    Twirl into warm bowls. Finish with extra pecorino and a final crack of pepper.

Chef tips

  • ·Use a metal bowl for the cheese cream — it holds heat better than glass.
  • ·Room-temperature cheese melts smoothly. Cold pecorino clumps.
  • ·The starchier the water, the better the sauce. Don't dilute it.

Common mistakes

  • ·Adding cheese directly to a hot pan — it ropes into a stringy mess.
  • ·Using pre-grated cheese (anti-caking agents prevent emulsion).
  • ·Skipping the pepper toast — you lose half the aroma.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Frascati Superiore DOCG

Lazio

Crisp, mineral, with enough body to stand up to the cheese.

Verdicchio di Matelica

Marche

Salty, almondy, and bright — a perfect echo of pecorino's tang.

Champagne Blanc de Blancs

France

For a special night. The bubbles scrub the palate of every fatty bite.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Tonnarelli (or spaghetti)400 g
  • Pecorino Romano DOP200 g
  • Black peppercorns1 tbsp

Questions

Frequently asked

Explore more recipes