Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (Printable format)

A Roman classic featuring spaghetti with Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper creating a creamy, salty sauce.

# List of ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti

→ Cheese & Spices

02 - 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
03 - 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra for serving

→ Others

04 - Salt for pasta water

# How to make it:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - In a large skillet over low heat, toast the black pepper for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Add approximately 1/2 cup of reserved hot pasta water to the skillet with pepper and allow it to simmer.
04 - Add drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat in the peppery water.
05 - Gradually sprinkle in the Pecorino Romano, tossing and stirring vigorously until the cheese melts and a creamy sauce forms. Add more reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky texture.
06 - Plate immediately and top with additional Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like Rome in a bowl, rich and sharp and somehow comforting all at once.
  • You can make it faster than ordering takeout, and it feels twice as impressive.
  • Theres something magical about watching cheese and pasta water turn into silk.
  • It uses ingredients you can keep on hand and pull off any night of the week.
02 -
  • If the cheese clumps into a grainy mess, your pan was too hot, pull it off the burner before adding cheese and keep tossing like your arms might fall off.
  • Pasta water is not optional, that starchy liquid is what turns grated cheese into a sauce instead of a pile of shreds.
  • Use a real Pecorino Romano, not the stuff in the green can, or the whole dish will taste like dust.
03 -
  • Toast your pepper in the pan before anything else, it releases oils that make the whole dish smell like a Roman trattoria.
  • Work fast once the pasta hits the skillet, this is not a dish you can walk away from or check your phone during.
  • If youre nervous about clumping, mix the grated cheese with a little pasta water in a bowl first to make a loose paste, then add it to the pan.
Return