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cheese & pepper pasta (cacio e pepe)

(2)
Andy59 avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Andy Anderson !
@Andy59
Wichita, KS

I will confess that it took me several years to get this recipe right. My Aunt Josephine used to make it all the time, but I never watched how she did it. The ingredients are simple: cheese, pepper, and pasta… so what’s so hard about that? Well as one of my teachers used to say, oftentimes the simplest dishes are the easiest to get wrong. She spoke from years of cooking wisdom.

So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

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Blue Ribbon Recipe

Cacio e Pepe is a restaurant-quality dinner that can be made at home. It's wonderful for a special occasion like Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or a holiday. Mixing the hot pasta water with Pecorino Romano cheese creates a creamy and cheesy sauce for the spaghetti. You'd never guess there wasn't heavy cream or milk in the dish. Thanks to a heavy amount of freshly ground pepper it's a little spicy. It's a wonderful bowl of pasta.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2)
yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For cheese & pepper pasta (cacio e pepe)

  • 14 oz
    spaghetti or Tonnarelli
  • 8 oz
    Pecorino Romano cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How To Make cheese & pepper pasta (cacio e pepe)

Test Kitchen Tips
We used about 1/2 cup of pasta water to obtain the right consistency.
  • 1
    Chef’s Note: Just one thing about traditional Cacio e Pepe
    It does not have any:
    Milk
    Heavy Cream
    Vegetable Oil
    Butter
    Parmigianino Reggiano

    This was a simple dish invented by the Romans… It’s designed to get it on the table quickly, with good hearty flavor, and that’s it… full stop.
  • Gather the ingredients.
    2
    Gather your ingredients.
  • 3
    Grate the Pecorino Romano, and reserve.
  • 4
    Bring 3 quarts of water to the boil and add a bit of salt.
  • Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions.
    5
    Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions.
  • Drain the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water.
    6
    Drain the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water.
  • Place a serving bowl over a pot of hot water and warm the bowl up.
    7
    Place a serving bowl over a pot of hot water and warm the bowl up.
  • 8
    Chef’s Tip: This is an important step, and will help with the mixing of the cheese and the pasta.
  • 9
    Add the pasta to the warm bowl.
  • Gradually add Pecorino Romano cheese and a bit of hot water tossing vigorously until you get a creamy consistency.
    10
    Gradually add Pecorino Romano cheese and a bit of hot water tossing vigorously until you get a creamy consistency.
  • 11
    Chef’s Tip: If the sauce becomes too watery, add more cheese; if it becomes too dry, add some of the pasta water.
  • 12
    Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and toss.
  • 13
    Serve while still nice and warm. Enjoy.
  • 14
    Chef’s Note: I did make this dish using a spaghetti squash in place of the pasta, and it was awesome. You might want to give it a try.
  • 15
    Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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