Italian🍜 Noodles & pasta

Traditional Cacio e Pepe

Name: Traditional Cacio e Pepe
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 oz pasta (spaghetti, spaghettoni, or bucatini); ~4-5 cups water; a pinch salt; 4 oz Pecorino Romano cheese; ~2 tbsp black peppercorns

⏱ 25 min🍽 Serves 1

A classic Italian pasta dish featuring Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper, creating a creamy sauce without adding cream. The secret lies in controlling the cheese temperature to prevent the protein from denaturing and separating.

Adapted from a video by Chef Jean-Pierre

Traditional Cacio e Pepe Recipe! | Chef Jean-Pierre

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

pasta (spaghetti, spaghettoni, or bucatini)Use bronze-cut quality pasta with a rough texture for better sauce absorption4 oz
waterfor cooking pasta, amount sufficient to keep pasta intact and starch concentrated~4-5 cupsest.
saltuse sparingly as Pecorino Romano is already very saltya pinch
Pecorino Romano cheesegrated very finely using the micro-plane grater (not the large holes), approximately 1 cup. Traditional sheep's milk cheese with a black rind4 oz
black peppercornstoast briefly in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind fresh using a mortar and pestle. Cambodian black pepper recommended for its smoky, fragrant quality~2 tbspest.

Steps

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1
Toast black peppercorns in a dry skillet for a few seconds until fragrant, then grind finely using a mortar and pestle.
2
Bring water to a boil in a skillet, adding just a pinch of salt since the cheese is already salty.
3
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 12 minutes until al dente. Using a skillet instead of a large pot helps retain the starchy pasta water, which is crucial for the sauce.
4
Grate the cheese very finely using the micro-plane side of the grater, not the large holes. This fine texture is essential so the cheese melts immediately without separating.
5
Once pasta is cooked, remove the pan from heat. Add 3–4 ounces of the starchy pasta water to the pan, which already contains the ground black pepper.
6
Combine about 2 ounces of pasta water with the grated cheese to create a smooth paste. This tempering step is crucial to prevent the cheese from reaching temperatures above 180°F where the protein will denature.
7
Pour the cheese paste into the cooked pasta and stir continuously without applying any heat until the cheese melts completely and creates a creamy sauce.
8
Add additional finely grated cheese if desired to enhance creaminess. Serve immediately as this dish cools quickly. Garnish with additional Pecorino Romano and freshly ground black pepper.

Traditional Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

Steps

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