Go Back

Italian creamy cacio and pepe recipe

It is really appetizing. Typically Italian, exactly from Rome, it is well-known all over the world. It is a quite variable recipe over Italy: the same ingredients, but different cooking methods. 
You can taste the most toothsome ‘Cacio e pepe’ in Rome: here, the housewives have the mastery; the other women around Italy try to do their best according the authentic recipe. 
And I’ll do my best myself. 
A few ingredients: pasta (long pasta, spaghetti or linguine, fits best), cacio (“Pecorino Romano” a kind of aged cheese from sheep milk), pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. 
It is a very creamy sauce, but it does not need any cream at all. Keep in mind that it is a high-calorie dish because of cheese, so combine it with a generous portion of vegetables. 
If you can’t find Pecorino Romano cheese, you may replace it with Parmigiano Reggiano (watch out: there are a lot of fake Parmigiano Reggiano cheese). It won't be the same taste, but it will be appetizing as well. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword cacio e pepe, italian spaghetti cacio e pepe, roma cacio e pepe, speghetti cacio e pepe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Print

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of long pasta, fresh Spaghetti alla Chitarra; Dry version by Barilla or De Cecco spaghetti (454g) 
  • 1 cup of Pecorino Romano grated (200g)
  • 2-3 tbsp Peppercorns, coarsely grated
  • salt
Servings 4 people

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a rolling boil, and then add a tablespoon of salt. Do not use much water to cook the spaghetti because you have to reserve as much starch as you can in order to make your space silky and creamy. Fill the stockpot halfway full (normally you would fill it 3/4);
  • Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together; 
  • Grate the Pecorino cheese and coarsely grate the peppercorns;
  • Take half of the crushed peppercorns and toast them over medium-low heat. Stir the peppercorns with a wooden spoon so they don’t burn; 
  • Cooking the pasta, drain it and save the pasta water. Pour the pasta into the skillet with the peppercorns and go on cooking it with a scoop of the pasta water tossing it with tongs until done; 
  • Prepare the sauce with the Pecorino just before serving to keep it silky and smooth;
  • Prepare the following sauce with the Pecorino cheese just before serving in order to keep it silky and smooth. Pour half of the grated Pecorino cheese into a bowl, add about a scoop of pasta cooking liquid and whisk it quickly until it is as white as whipped cream. Add another scoop of pasta cooking liquid and the remaining Pecorino. Whisk it vigorously until the cheese has completely melted and is smooth. If the cream gets too thick, add a splash of water, but be careful; it must not be too liquidy. The temperature of the water will melt the cheese. The more mature the Pecorino is, the hotter the water must be; 
  • If the Pecorino sauce isn’t hot enough, put it in the skillet with the cooked pasta for a few minutes. The sauce and pasta should be at the same temperature;
  • When the pasta is done, remove the skillet from the heat and add the Pecorino sauce. Toss the pasta with tongs until it is evenly coated;
  • Place the pasta in serving bowls and garnish each with some more freshly grated Pecorino cheese and black pepper.