Classic Roman Cacio e Pepe (Printable)

Roman pasta showcasing Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper in a creamy sauce. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti or tonnarelli

→ Cheese

02 - 4.2 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

→ Seasonings

03 - 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, freshly cracked
04 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt for pasta water

→ Optional

05 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for extra creaminess

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then cook the spaghetti until just al dente, approximately 1 minute less than package instructions. Reserve 1.5 cups of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, toast the freshly cracked black pepper in a large dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add 1 cup of reserved hot pasta water to the skillet with the pepper. Reduce heat to low.
04 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, allowing the pasta to absorb the peppery water.
05 - Remove the skillet from the heat. Gradually sprinkle in the Pecorino Romano, tossing and stirring vigorously to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, if the sauce is too thick.
06 - If desired, add butter and toss until melted and emulsified.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Pecorino Romano and additional cracked black pepper.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • It proves you don't need a long ingredient list to make something that feels like a gift.
  • The sauce comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, no waiting, no stress.
  • Every bite tastes like pepper and cheese are having a conversation, and somehow you're invited.
02 -
  • If you add the cheese while the pan is too hot, it will clump into rubbery threads instead of melting into cream.
  • The pasta water is not optional, it's the glue that holds the sauce together.
  • Toss fast and off the heat, patience here means failure.
03 -
  • Use a skillet, not a saucepan, so the pasta has room to move and the sauce can coat evenly.
  • Grate the cheese as fine as you can, it melts faster and smoother that way.
  • If the sauce looks broken, add a tablespoon of cold water and stir hard, it usually comes back together.
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