I have seen so many versions of this classic Roman pasta dish and TOO many times people over complicate it when it really is a simple recipe with only 3 main ingredients and some tips and tricks needed to execute.
Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients:
Bucatini or your favorite pasta shape (recommend a long pasta shape)
Chunk of Pecorino Romano
Black Pepper
+ (water, olive oil, & salt)…these are kitchen staples so they don’t count…?🤣
Steps:
Fill a wide and shallow pot with water and bring it to a boil *(shallow pot = more concentrated pasta water ~ the KEY ingredient of this dish.)
Grate a sh*t ton of pecorino cheese…about 1 packed cup per half lb of pasta. *(freshly grate it. It makes a difference in the way it melts into the pasta and emulsifies into the sauce.)
Lightly salt the water and toss in the pasta. Set a timer for 2 minutes under al dente.
In another skillet, crack whole black pepper. Heat pan over medium heat and toast pepper for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add in a drizzle of oil to bloom the pepper. Add in a ladle of pasta water and stir well.
To the bowl with grated cheese, add in half a ladle of pasta water until you form a thin paste (*this starts the emulsion process by tempering the cheese before it hits the pasta.)
Transfer the super al dente pasta to the pan with pepper, toss to combine and turn the heat off. WAIT 30 SECONDS (to allow the pasta to cool slightly) and then add in the cheese mixture & a ladle of pasta water. Here is the important part: toss, toss, TOSS!! Use tongs to quickly whirl around the pasta to emulsify the sauce, if it gets too dry add more pasta water! (+ Save more for later; it will continue to absorb into the pasta, so I like to keep more on hand to make sure the sauce stays saucy.)
Plate and serve ❤️
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Your cacio e Pepe does not come up?