Cacio e Pepe

Nothing beats the comforting magic of this classic Roman pasta that turns just a few simple ingredients into pure deliciousness! Pasta lovers everywhere will fall head over heels for this dish because it’s ready in just 25 minutes but tastes like you’ve been cooking all day. The best part is how those peppercorns and cheese create the most amazing creamy sauce without any cream at all.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 25 minutes, Total Time: 25 minutes, Serves: 4 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Soy-Free, High-Fiber, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 322 Calories, 13g Fat, 43g Carbs, 12g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Water: You’ll need 6 cups of water to get that pasta cooking perfectly. This gives you plenty of room for the spaghetti to move around and cook evenly.

Salt: Just ¾ teaspoon of salt goes right into the pasta water. This is what makes your pasta taste amazing from the inside out!

Whole-wheat spaghetti: An 8-ounce box is exactly what you need for four people. The whole-wheat adds such a nice nutty flavor and extra fiber too.

Neutral oil: One tablespoon of canola or avocado oil works perfectly here. This helps carry all those wonderful pepper flavors throughout the dish.

Extra-virgin olive oil: Another tablespoon of good olive oil adds that rich, fruity taste. Don’t skip this – it makes such a difference!

Black peppercorns: You’ll need 2½ teaspoons of coarsely cracked black peppercorns, and we’ll divide them up during cooking. Try to find really good quality peppercorns if you can – they’re the star of this show!

Pecorino cheese: Half a cup of finely grated pecorino cheese creates that amazing creamy sauce. Make sure it’s grated really fine so it melts beautifully.

How to Make Cacio e Pepe

Step 1: Bring your 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the salt, then add your pasta, pushing it down into the water if needed. Cook it, stirring every now and then, until it’s just shy of al dente – about 9 minutes total.

Step 2: While the pasta cooks, heat both oils and 2 teaspoons of pepper in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. You’ll smell that amazing peppery fragrance when it’s ready!

Step 3: Ladle 1½ cups of that starchy pasta water into your skillet and reserve another ¼ cup in a small bowl. Drain the pasta but don’t rinse it – you want that starch!

Step 4: Bring that peppery pasta water to a boil over high heat. Let it boil until it reduces by almost half – this takes about 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium and add your drained pasta.

Step 5: Use tongs to stir and toss the pasta with the liquid. Sprinkle in the cheese in 3 separate additions, tossing quickly after each one to make sure it melts evenly. Drizzle with that reserved pasta water and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Serve it right away!

Easy and Quick Cacio e Pepe Version

Want to make this even faster? You can use pre-ground black pepper instead of cracking your own peppercorns! Just use 1½ teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper total. Also, you can skip the step of reducing the pasta water if you’re in a real hurry – just use about ¾ cup of pasta water instead of 1½ cups. It’ll still taste amazing, just with a slightly thinner sauce.

Serving Ideas

This creamy, peppery pasta is honestly perfect all by itself as a complete meal! If you want to add a little something extra, try serving it with a simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil. A crusty piece of garlic bread on the side never hurts either!

Storage

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container. To reheat, add a splash of water or milk to a skillet over medium-low heat and gently warm the pasta, tossing frequently. The microwave works too – just add a little water and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one.

Substitutions

No pecorino cheese? You can swap in freshly grated Parmesan instead – it’ll taste a little milder but still delicious! Regular spaghetti works great if you don’t have whole-wheat on hand. If you want to make this vegan, try using nutritional yeast instead of cheese, though the texture will be different.

Pro Tips

• Save that pasta water: The starchy pasta water is what makes this sauce so creamy, so don’t dump it all out!
• Work fast with the cheese: Add the cheese off the heat or on very low heat to prevent it from getting stringy.
• Crack your own pepper: Freshly cracked peppercorns taste so much better than pre-ground. Use the bottom of a heavy pan to crack them!
• Serve immediately: This dish is best right out of the pan while it’s still hot and creamy.

FAQs

Why did my cheese get clumpy?

The heat was probably too high when you added the cheese! Make sure to reduce the heat to low or even turn it off completely before adding the cheese. Toss quickly and constantly to help it melt smoothly.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

This dish is really best served fresh, but you can definitely make it ahead! Just be ready to add a little extra pasta water when you reheat it to bring back that creamy texture.

What if I don’t have pecorino cheese?

Sure! Parmesan cheese works great as a substitute. You might also find Romano cheese, which is very similar to pecorino. Any hard, aged cheese that grates well will work in a pinch.

How do I know when the pasta water has reduced enough?

You bet you can tell! The water should look a bit thicker and more starchy, and you should have about half the amount you started with. It usually takes about 5 minutes of boiling.

I hope you love this simple but amazing pasta as much as I do! Let me know how yours turns out – I always love hearing about your cooking adventures. Happy cooking, friend!