15 minutes easy Cacio E Pepe

Bring it to the team. Cacio e Pepe is on the blog today because it’s my favorite pasta dish of all time and there are a few tips and tricks to make it perfect.

I know I say that often. “So and So” is my favorite… but let me tell you. I order Cacio e Pepe in every single restaurant, anytime, no matter what time of day or what country we are in, the answer is always Cacio e Pepe. It’s the easiest dish on earth, but it requires a little precision and some great ingredients.

Believe it or not, when we went to Italy for my birthday five years ago, I only had cacio e pepe once. This number quickly multiplied as we were in Italy for two full weeks and not a day went by without Cacio e Pepe in our lunch or dinner order. No shame in my game.

It’s my everything. For those of you unfamiliar with the dish, it’s a favorite Roman dish with a peppery parmesan sauce that coats each piece of spaghetti perfectly. Every bite is absolute perfection! Get on! xo

Ingredients

• spaghetti
• Kosher salt
• Unsalted Butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Grated pecorino cheese

How to make Cacio e Pepe

First, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Once they boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally. Reserve ¾ cup of pasta cooking water before draining the rest.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground black pepper and cook in the pan until roasted, about 1 minute.

Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan and let it simmer. Add spaghetti and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and add parmesan, stirring constantly with tongs, until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the grated pecorino cheese, stirring, until the cheese melts and the sauce coats the pasta. If the sauce seems dry, add more pasta water one tablespoon at a time.

Variations and Substitutions

spaghetti – While cacio e pepe is traditionally made with spaghetti, you can use your favorite pasta shape like bucatini or rigatoni instead in this recipe.

Unsalted Butter – While this cacio e pepe calls for butter, you can definitely skip it. Instead, roast your black pepper in an empty pan for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add the starchy pasta water and stir until simmering and continue with the rest of the recipe. (I like to use unsalted butter because it allows me to control how much salt I add to a dish. If you only have salted butter, that’s fine. Just reduce the amount of salt you use to garnish your pasta.)

Freshly ground black pepper – Please take a few seconds to freshly grind your peppers instead of using the pre-ground material. It really makes a big difference.

Grated parmesan and pecorino cheese – Again, please buy the block and shred it yourself. Not only is it fresh and flavorful, but pre-shredded cheese tends to have a coating that prevents the cheese from sticking together and doesn’t spread as well incorporate into the Cacio e Pepe sauce.

tips

Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. The starchy water is crucial for a silky smooth sauce.

If your cheese sauce is lumpy, make sure you use fresh and finely grated cheese.

If your cheese sauce is dry, add a little pasta water one tablespoon at a time, stirring well between additions until the sauce is glossy.

FAQs

More pasta recipes

Photo of Matt Armendariz / Food styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking