This Cacio e Pepe recipe is the most divine pasta dish made with simple, high-quality ingredients. Tender noodles tossed in a peppery cheese sauce with freshly cracked black pepper with each bite.
Recipe Science
- Cook pasta in minimal water with salt to season the noodles and concentrate the starches, enhancing the sauce’s luxurious texture.
- Mix starchy pasta water with Pecorino Romano cheese, butter, and black pepper to create a smooth, emulsified sauce.
- To extract flavor from the spice for a more aromatic and intense sauce, toast the ground pepper in warm butter.
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Why It Works
Making a great Italian pasta dish doesn’t need to be complicated. Cacio e pepe, a simple yet satisfying dish, combines al dente pasta with a creamy pepper sauce. It was the first dish I ordered when I visited Rome years ago. This dish epitomizes comfort food, easy enough to whip up even on the busiest of weeknights.
The secret to its irresistible flavor lies in using high-quality aged Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. The magic component, however, is the starchy pasta water, which melds everything into a lush sauce. To ensure a silky texture without any clumps, it’s crucial to finely grate the cheese and let the pasta water cool slightly before combining these elements.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: Select a long type of pasta like spaghetti, tonnarelli (a fresh square-shaped noodle), or bucatini. I prefer bronze-drawn pasta because the die creates a more porous surface, allowing the sauce to adhere better. Additionally, this process releases more starch into the boiling water, creating a thicker slurry that enhances the final sauce.
- Water: Instead of a large pot of water, use a smaller amount to concentrate the starches from the pasta for a creamy sauce.
- Salt: A small amount of kosher salt to season the boiling water to cook the pasta.
- Butter: The fat added richness to the sauce without overpowering the flavor. The main reason is to extract more fat-soluble flavor compounds from the ground pepper.
- Pepper: Always use freshly ground black pepper for the recipe. This releases more aroma from the whole black peppercorns and a spicier taste from piperine. I use a medium grind for little bursts of peppery flavor.
- Cheese: Start with high-quality wedges of aged, hard cheese like Pecorino Romano, a sheep’s milk cheese known for its salty, spicy, and sharp flavor that adds depth to simple pasta dishes. Always grate the cheese using a microplane or fine kitchen grater for tiny shreds that melt quickly and smoothly. Avoid pre-grated cheeses, as they often contain anti-caking agents like potato starch or powdered cellulose, preventing proper melting and leading to a clumpy, gritty texture.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This cacio e pepe recipe is easy to customize! Try these taste options:
- Pasta Substitutes: Try bucatini for a larger width compared to spaghetti. The hollow center traps more sauce in the center for unexpected yet delightfully chewy bursts of flavor. If you want a low-carb option, try my spaghetti squash cacao e pepe recipe.
- Butter Swap: You can use olive oil, margarine, or your favorite plant-based butter. For a more classic version, skip the fat completely. Toast the pepper in the pan, then add the starchy pasta water.
- Cheese: Instead of pecorino romano, try another high-quality dry-aged cheese like cow’s milk Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese. They are savory and nutty in flavor. The cheese must be freshly grated with the finest shredder or the smallest hole on the box grater.
How to Make Cacio e Pepe
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
I prefer using a large skillet over a deep pot for cooking pasta because its wider surface helps concentrate the starches released into the water, creating a slurry that thickens and glosses the sauce.
I use just 5 cups of water for 8 ounces of dried spaghetti, boiling it in lightly salted water until just shy of al dente, about 8 to 9 minutes. This way, the pasta absorbs more water and finishes cooking when tossed with the sauce.
Tips for Perfect Execution: After reaching near al dente, I turn off the heat to prevent the hot pasta water from causing the cheese in the sauce to clump.
Step 2: Toast the Pepper
To release more aroma and the fat-soluble piperine flavor compounds trapped in the freshly cracked peppercorn, gently cook it in melted butter. I keep the heat low because we do not want to brown the butter.
You can smell the pepper’s spiciness in less than a minute and extract its sharp and piney flavor into the butter. Take the pan off the heat to prevent the butter from browning, and cool down the fat slightly before adding the starchy cooking water.
Quick Substitution: Try toasting whole peppercorns for a few minutes of medium heat before grinding. This releases the oils in the spice, intensifying the volatile aromas and taste. Once cooled, add to a pepper mill or use a mortar and pestle for a more rustic grind.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
After boiling the pasta, the water will be off-white and opaque from the released starch. Add ¼ cup of the liquid to the black pepper and butter mixture and mix. This is the base of the emulsified sauce.
Step 4: Add the Pasta and Cheese
Add the pasta straight from the pot to the sauce and toss with tongs to coat. The pasta and cheese should have cooled down just slightly from the tossing. Sprinkle on all of the finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Toss together until the cheese melts.
To finish the sauce, add more starchy pasta water until the pasta is glossy and looks creamy. I add about ¼ cup additional pasta water. However, you can adjust it to your desired consistency.
Ingredient Chemistry: Pecorino romano has a high melting point around 180ºF (82ºF). However, you do not want to mix hot boiling water with the dry-aged cheese. The intense heat will cause the proteins to firm up, push out the moisture, and agglomerate, resulting in a clumpy sauce. Let the starchy water cool slightly to near the melting point of the cheese before mixing.
Step 5: To Serve
Cacio e Pepe tastes the best when served hot! If the pasta cools down too much, the sauce gets sticky and is not as smooth and creamy. I like to add more freshly grated cheese and pepper to finish the dish. It’s so simple and delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cacio e Pepe translates to “cheese and pepper,” so no guessing on what ingredients to grab from the fridge! It has Roman origins, traditionally using Pecorino Romano cheese, made from aged sheep’s milk, and freshly ground black pepper as the base for the sauce.
In the classic dish cacio e pepe, Pecorino Romano is the traditional choice, not Parmesan. “Cacio,” meaning “cheese” in Italian, often refers to Pecorino Romano, a hard, salty cheese made from sheep’s milk with deep roots in Roman culinary history. However, if you prefer, you can use a mixture of both Pecorino Romano and Parmesan to add an extra dimension of flavor to the dish.
To prevent cacio e pepe from clumping, it’s crucial to manage the temperature carefully. After cooking the pasta, turn off the heat. Let the starchy pasta water cool slightly before combining it with Pecorino Romano, which has a melting point of around 180ºF. If the water is too hot when added to the cheese, the proteins firm up and expel moisture, leading to clumps. Also, avoid pre-grated cheese, as additives like potato starch or powdered cellulose can cause clumping and grittiness.
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Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces spaghetti, or bucatini
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta – Bring the water to a boil in a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven. Stir in the salt, then add the pasta. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook for about 8 to 9 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's directions, until it is just shy of al dente. Once it reaches the desired doneness, turn off the heat. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
- Toast the Pepper – Melt the butter in a medium skillet over low heat, it should not brown. Add the black pepper, stir, and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and move the pan to a cool burner.
- Make the Sauce – Add ¼ cup of the starchy pasta liquid to the pan with the butter and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Add the Pasta and Cheese – Transfer the pasta to the pan using tongs, and toss it with the pepper sauce. Stir in the cheese until it fully melts. To adjust the consistency, add starchy pasta water one tablespoon at a time, usually about ¼ cup for a glossy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To Serve – Immediately serve the pasta hot, garnished with black pepper and grated cheese if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 4 cups of pasta.
- Serving Size: About 1 cup of pasta.
- Butter Substitute: Use olive oil or margarine. Alternatively, omit the butter and toast the pepper in the pan for a more traditional cacio e pepe.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Pat Mitchell says
Using a WW calculator, the freestyle points come out to 16 per serving. When calculating using just the ingredients, it comes out to 6 freestyle points per serving.
The nutritional data seems to be incorrect. Please confirm.
The carbs alone seems off.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Pat- I’m not familiar with the WW points, but let me know if the carbs look closer to what you’re getting. Thanks!
Janette Johnson says
I made this dish about a month ago and it was AMAZING!! new month and making it again. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica Gavin says
You’re so welcome! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. I hope you try more from SkinnyTaste cookbook too!
JJ says
This looks delicious…gotta try it sometime. I’ve not been a big spaghetti squash fan, but I really think I may have not cooked it as long as needed.
I was hoping this was one of yours (I am looking for your cookbook to arrive today (!) and I’m quite excited to see it). But I’ll get this one into my Recipe Keeper, and definitely give it a try.
Jessica Gavin says
I know you will love this simple and delicious recipe JJ. I can’t wait for you to get the book! Thank you 🙂