Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

This authentic spaghetti cacio e pepe recipe takes only 4 ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare! This classic Roman pasta features al dente noodles coated in a creamy black pepper pecorino cheese sauce and is widely considered one of the best pasta dishes of all time!

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Cacio e Pepe is one of the four traditional pasta dishes of Rome, along with spaghetti alla Carbonara, Gricia and Amatriciana. It's a simple Roman classic that's perfect for those busy night's when you only have a few ingredients on hand.

This traditional recipe for Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe was inspired by my own visit to the Eternal City and greater Lazio region. It's a super simple dish and a classic pasta that has the perfect balance of al dente pasta, piquant pepper and a rich pecorino cream sauce. 

The main ingredients are pasta, pecorino cheese and black peppercorns. Pepe means pepper in Italian and Cacio refers to the Roman name for Pecorino Romano, a sharp and salty sheep's milk cheese. Despite its simple ingredients, cacio e pepe can be a bit tricky to nail and can require a bit of practice. 

If you're not careful, you can wind up with a big clumpy mess rather than a silky smooth, emulsified sauce. Luckily I have a few crucial tips and techniques to help you achieve cacio e pepe success! 

For other great classic Italian recipes try my Roman chicken cacciatore and lasagna alla bolognese. 

Why this recipe works

• Only 4 ingredients and 20 minutes needed!
• Toasting the pepper first brings out more flavor. 
• Cooking the pasta in less water results in a silky, velvety sauce.
• A genius technique that ensures a creamy sauce, not big clumps of cheese. 

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta - Wha's great about this recipe is that you can use any type of pasta you’d like. Typically it's made with a long noodles like spaghetti, but it can be made with a variety of different pasta shapes. For best results, look for a bronze die cut pasta, which is a higher quality and allows the sauce to more easily cling to each noodle. You can also make cacio e pepe with fresh pasta!
• Pecorino Romano cheese - Use Locatelli brand Pecorino Romano, or another high quality pecorino cheese, for best results. Avoid pre-grated cheese and freshly-grated Pecorino Romano whenever possible. Pecorino Romano is a sharp, salty sheep's milk cheese and you will not get the same flavor from parmesan cheese, which is made from cow's milk and tastes much different. 
• Black pepper - Freshly cracked black pepper is essential. Do not use pre-ground pepper for this - it must be ground fresh and coarse. If you don't have a pepper grinder, you can crush whole peppercorns with the back of a heavy skillet or meat mallet. 
• Butter - Some Italian cooks insist that only these three ingredients should ever be used, but I find a little butter makes the dish even better. Since the Pecorino Romano cheese is quite salty, use unsalted butter to keep the dish from being too salty. 

Helpful Equipment

• Long Tweezers - These are not essential, but these giant, long tweezers are excellent for tossing and twirling long cooked pasta so that it doesn't break.
• Pepper Grinder - This is my absolute favorite pepper grinder. It grinds peppercorns as coarse or as fine as you like and never gets stuck or clogged. It's super durable and has lasted me well over a decade with heavy use.
• Pasta Pot or Large Stock Pot - For boiling the pasta. 

Step by step instructions

1. Add 3-4 inches of cold water (enough to cover the spaghetti) to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Season with a pinch of salt. 
2. Toast the pepper in a medium to large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. 
3. Mix together the butter, Pecorino Romano cheese and cooled pepper until it forms a smooth paste. 
4. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook according to the package directions, about 8 minutes. 
5. While the pasta is cooking, add one large ladle of pasta water to the same pan you toasted the pepper in, but off of the heat. Stir in the cheese mixture until it's smooth and saucy. 
6. Drain the pasta when it's just barely al dente, making sure to reserve at least a cup of pasta water first. 
7. Immediately add the pasta to the pan over low heat while tossing and moving it around. It's important to keep the heat low and move the pasta constantly at this step to prevent clumpy cheese. 
8. Continue stirring and tossing until the sauce thickens to the right consistency. Add more hot pasta water as needed, and remove from the heat as soon as it's done. 
9. Taste for seasoning, then transfer the pasta to bowls, top with freshly cracked pepper and grated pecorino, then serve immediately. Buon appetito!

Tips for success

• Boil the pasta in less water than you normally would to create an extra starchy pasta water, which will add more body to the sauce. Excess water will dilute the cooking water and won't make the sauce as creamy. 
• Make sure you reserve pasta water for your sauce. The starchy water that comes from boiled pasta helps the cheese melt into a smooth, velvety sauce. 
• Choose a high-quality Pecorino Romano cheese and grate it yourself.
• It's imperative to keep the heat very low when tossing the pasta in the pan to prevent the cheese from melting too quickly, which causes it to clump up. 
• Be sure to drain your pasta as soon as it's al dente to prevent it from turning mushy in the pan, since it will continue cooking. 
• Serve spaghetti cacio e pepe in warm bowls to keep it from cooling down to quickly. I like to warm them in a low oven for about 10 minutes prior to serving. 

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this simple recipe with a light salad on the side, like this warm spinach salad or kale Caesar salad. Otherwise, I like to serve it with another green vegetable like sautéed broccoli rabe or escarole. 

If preparing cacio e pepe for guests, be sure to start with some Italian appetizers or antipasto such as warm marinated olives or eggplant caponata. 

And don't forget to finish with an Italian dessert like pignoli cookies, ricotta pie or ricotta filled cannoli! 

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