I have seen so many different versions of this simple dish, proposing all kinds of tricks to get the consistency right: oil and butter, cornstarch, food processers, several cheeses, etc, and I’m here to dissuade you from going down that rabbit hole. All you need is: Pecorino, Black Pepper, Butter, Pasta Water. That. Is. It. Please don’t make this more complicated than it is. And please use Pecorino. It’s the best cheese. Buy the good cheese and grate it as fine as you can, and use freshly cracked pepper. That is my public service announcement, thank you and good night.

Just kidding, obviously I’m going to tell you how to make it! I use Samin Nosrat’s recipe. She’s a pro, and her method is the best I’ve seen (no gimmicks, no unnecessary steps), and it’s delicious. I didn’t really understand cacio e pepe until I made her version. I remember telling David we were having pasta for dinner, with cheese and pepper, and he asked a lot of follow up questions. Peppers, like a primavera? No, black pepper. Oh, like a baked pasta? No, just pepper and cheese. ***<silence>***

And then he tasted it, and declared it to be “unreasonably good.” It’s true, that’s the perfect description of this dish. How could something using essentially 2 ingredients taste so special? It doesn’t make sense. Not only that, it’s inexpensive (because tiny ingredient list), feeds a crowd (because pasta) and comes together in just a few minutes once the pasta is done. So here’s the deal: First, you simmer the black pepper in hot melted butter. Then, you add some starchy pasta water and let it bubble to form an emulsion. Then you add the pasta, lots of cheese, and more pasta water. And you stir like crazy until the pasta absorbs the water and the cheese turns into a glossy coating. I’ll give you more details below, but that’s the gist of it. I’ve included lots of process photos. I hope you find them helpful.

Cacio e Pepe

Recipe by Too Many SpoonsCourse: DinnerCuisine: Pasta

Servings

servings

Cost

Total time

minutes

It is possible to time this just right, by prepping the sauce ingredients as soon as you put the pasta in boiling water, and starting the sauce with about 4 minutes cooking time left on the pasta.

Ingredients

1 lb linguini or other long-strand pasta
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more to taste
1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup finely shredded pecorino

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving the pasta water once cooked. You can use the first few minutes of cooking time to grind the black pepper and shred the cheese, if you like. I use a combination of the “small shredding” side and the “zesting” side of a box grater, so I get a nice light texture but don’t go crazy trying to get a cup of “zested” cheese.
When the pasta is almost done, start working on the sauce. In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the black pepper, stir, and let it simmer for about 30 seconds.
Add 3/4 cup pasta water to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes until it forms an emulsion, so that the components no longer appear separate. (It’s ok if the pasta is still cooking-just scoop/ladle the water straight from the pot). Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan, tossing to coat, then gradually add 3/4 cup pecorino. Toss vigorously and continuously until the cheese is melted and the pasta has absorbed the liquid. As long as you keep on stirring the noodles, the cheese will magically melt into the buttery pepper-sauce without getting clumpy. Once the liquid has been absorbed, add the remaining 1/4 cup pasta water and cheese, tossing the whole time until you see a glossy coating on the noodles. You want them to appear pretty “wet,” so go ahead and add more pasta water if you need-just make sure to stir well once you add it. And if you want a little more “gloss” you can stir in another tablespoon or so of butter for good measure.
Serve with additional shredded cheese and black pepper, for extra oomph.