cacio e pepe

Pasta with pecorino and black pepper, emulsified with starch water.

Ingredients

• 400 g Spaghetti
• 2 cups Pecorino cheese
• 2 tbsp Black pepper
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 3 L Water

Method

1. Use less water — Cook the pasta in a small amount of water so the starch concentrates — that starch is the sauce.
2. Toast the pepper — Crack the peppercorns coarsely and toast them in a dry pan until fragrant.
3. Make the cream — Grate the pecorino very finely and mix with a little warm pasta water into a smooth paste, off the heat.
4. Never on heat — Direct heat will make the cheese seize into strings — this is the single point where cacio e pepe fails.
5. Combine — Toss the drained pasta with the pepper, then work in the cheese paste, adding pasta water until glossy.
6. Cacio e Pepe is ready — Serve immediately with more pepper.

More Italy recipes

• Pizza Margherita
• Spaghetti al Pomodoro
• Lasagna alla Bolognese
• Risotto alla Milanese
• Tiramisu
• Spaghetti Carbonara