Cacio e Pepe (“Cheese and Pepper”) is one of Rome’s most beloved and seemingly simple pasta dishes. Its perfection relies on technique: creating a creamy emulsion with hot pasta water, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Prep the Pepper: In a large, cold skillet (big enough to hold the finished pasta), toast the freshly cracked black pepper over medium heat for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. Cook the Pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt (less than usual, as the cheese is very salty). Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions).
3. Create the Paste: While the pasta cooks, put the skillet with the pepper back over low heat. Add 2-3 ladles of hot, starchy pasta cooking water to the pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Emulsify: Add the finely grated Pecorino Romano to a separate large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in small amounts of the pepper-water mixture while whisking constantly until a thick, smooth, creamy paste forms. This is the crucial emulsion step.
5. Toss and Serve: Use tongs to transfer the pasta directly from the pot into the skillet with the pepper mixture. Toss vigorously. If the sauce seems too dry, slowly add small spoonfuls of the remaining hot pasta water until a creamy, clinging sauce coats the pasta perfectly. Serve immediately, garnished with an extra grind of black pepper.