Italian
Classic Cacio e Pepe
Spaghetti, pecorino, and a heavy amount of black pepper, emulsified with pasta water. No cream.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Photo: arnold | inuyaki (CC BY). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Pepper toasted in a dry pan.
- Pasta water is the sauce.
- Cheese off the heat or it clumps.
- Pecorino, not a mild cheddar.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until just tender. Save 1.5 cups of the water.
- 2
Toast the pepper in a wide skillet for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of pasta water and the spaghetti.
- 3
Take the pan off the heat. Toss in the pecorino a handful at a time, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce is glossy.
- 4
Serve immediately with the extra pecorino and more pepper if you want it.
Pro tips
- If the cheese clumps, the pan was too hot. Add a splash of water and toss hard.
- A mix of Parmesan and pecorino works. All Parmesan is milder.
- Do not add oil. It stops the sauce from clinging.
Easy substitutions
- Pecorino
- Parmesan
- Spaghetti
- Tonnarelli or bucatini
Storage and reheating
Storage
It does not keep a good sauce. Refrigerate up to 2 days if you must.
Reheating
Warm with pasta water, not a microwave blast, and add a little more cheese.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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