Cacio e Pepe

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This pasta is a traditional dish of Rome. “Cacio e Pepe” means, cheese and pepper. Yes cheese in Italian is actually “formaggio” but in this case we use “cacio” because if you’re from Rome you say “cacio” for cheese :) That’s cheese in their Roman dialect. While exploring the internet you may see this recipe say parmesan cheese is fine, or also use some olive oil or butter. Sure the butter or olive oil helps make it smooth and creamy, and parmesan of course is a lovely cheese, but the true Italian and authentic way this dish is prepared in Rome is only with 3 simple ingredients: Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and pasta. Adding some of the hot, starchy water from the pasta helps melt the cheese as well as binds the pepper and cheese to the pasta. Your goal is to whisk rapidly to create a creamy sauce, but there is NEVER any cream in this recipe! I’ve found grating my own cheese is easier to get a creamy texture. You want to avoid lumps of cheese. I love how incredibly fast it is to make this amazingly delicious pasta. It is a simple recipe, however can be difficult to create the “cream” like sauce. Just remember to use the hot pasta water and stir the cheese quickly to avoid lumps, and the next time you make it to Rome make sure you order a plate of this pasta.


Ingredients

  • 1 lb. bucatini pasta

  • ¾ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

  • ¼ cup pasta/starch water

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Bring pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente. Before straining set aside ¼ cup of the pasta’s water.

  2. While the pasta is cooking, grate pecorino, sprinkle salt, generously crack ground pepper over top and set aside.

  3. When the pasta is just about finished cooking, place your serving bowl on the pot for about 10 seconds or until it warms the bowl. Then place the warmed serving bowl on the counter with ¼ cup of the pasta water and ½ cup of the cheese. Whisk quickly to create a cream like mixture.

  4. After straining the pasta, add to the serving bowl with the remaining cheese and toss rapidly so the cheese stays creamy, avoiding it to become lumpy.

  5. Serve immediately with more cheese sprinkled on top and freshly ground pepper.


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PastaDanielle SimoneComment