Cacio e Pepe
By Groceree
Three ingredients and nowhere to hide: tonnarelli, pecorino romano and black pepper, emulsified with starchy pasta water into a sauce that clings without a drop of cream.
Last updated
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
Ingredients
tonnarelli or spaghetti200 g
pecorino romano120 g
black peppercorns2 tsp
salt
Instructions
- 01
Boil the in a small amount of water with a little — less water than usual, so it ends up thick with starch. That water is the sauce.
- 02
Crack the coarsely in a mortar and keep a pinch back for serving. Toast the cracked in a dry pan over medium heat for 30 seconds until it smells sharp, then add a ladle of pasta water and let it bubble.
- 03
Grate the pecorino very finely and mix it with a few tablespoons of pasta water in a bowl to make a thick, smooth paste. Let it cool slightly.
- 04
Drain the pasta 1 minute early, keeping plenty of water, and toss it in the pepper pan for 1 minute.
- 05
Take the pan off the heat and wait 30 seconds. Add the pecorino paste and toss hard, loosening with pasta water until it turns glossy and coats each strand.
- 06
Serve at once, with more pepper.
Notes
- Heat is what splits this dish. Cheese added to a hot pan seizes into strings — off the heat, and slightly cooled, it emulsifies.
- Grate the pecorino as finely as you can. Coarse shreds melt unevenly and clump.
- Use less water than you think when boiling. Thin water will not emulsify no matter how hard you toss.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 73 g
- Fat
- 18 g
Estimated from the ingredients.
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