Cacio e Pepe
Cheese and pepper, engineered
Roman cacio e pepe: tonnarelli or spaghetti emulsified with Pecorino Romano, toasted black pepper and starchy pasta water.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 17 min
- Serves
- 2 servings
Ingredients
- ½ lb tonnarelli or spaghetti
- 1½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
- Salt
Instructions
- 01
Toast the pepper. Toast the cracked pepper in a dry skillet for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- 02
Cook the pasta short. Boil the pasta in a small amount of lightly salted water so the water gets extra starchy. Pull it two minutes early.
- 03
Make the cheese slurry. Whisk the pecorino with a few tablespoons of warm (not boiling) pasta water into a smooth paste.
- 04
Finish in the pan. Add pasta and a ladle of water to the pepper pan, toss over low heat, then remove from heat and stir in the cheese paste until creamy.
Larry’s rule: Boiling water plus pecorino equals a clumpy mess. Let the pan cool a few seconds before the cheese goes in.