Learn how to make the best cacio e pepe and you’ll never go hungry again. At least, you’ll never wonder what to make on nights when the pantry is bare and takeout sounds too expensive—yet this bare-bones dish is also impressive enough for dates. Our senior video producer, Guillermo Riveros, learned from the best: Jordan Frosolone, chef at 10 Corso Como—their cacio e pepe just made NY Mag’s “Best Of” list, so we’re not kidding when we say this cacio e pepe is excellent.
What is cacio e pepe?
It’s an old Roman pasta dish that’s much more than the sum of its parts: spaghetti with pecorino and black pepper. A ladleful of the pasta cooking water transforms the cheese into a luscious sauce that coats the strands of pasta, and the cracked pepper adds a beautiful bite to contrast the rich silky sauce and pasta. (We spoke with another Italian expert for more info on the history of this dish: Lydia Bastianch on the history of cacio e pepe.)
The importance of high-quality ingredients
You’ve heard it (and maybe scoffed at it) a million times, but it’s simply true: Since this dish is so stripped-down, it’s imperative to get the best-quality ingredients you can manage. That means good pasta, good cheese (Chef Frosolone recommends Brunelli or Casearia Podda), and freshly cracked pepper. Here are a few items that will come in handy for this particular recipe:
Microplane Premium Stainless Steel Zester Grater, $12.91 on Amazon
A great tool for finely grating just about anything, from cheese to citrus zest.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Locking Tongs, $12.99 on Amazon
To make manuvering your pasta easier.
How to make cacio e pepe
Feel free to make your own fresh pasta for this dish, but know that it’s also just as good on a weeknight with store-bought strands; try any long, thin noodle shape you like, as long as it’s a good brand. Some cacio e pepe recipes will gild the lily with peas and/or pancetta, and you can too if you’d like, but try it this way first, in all its simple glory.
Ingredients:
- sea salt
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt the water once it’s boiling. When the salt has dissolved, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
2. When the pasta is almost done, in a saute pan over low heat, combine the pepper and a small ladle of pasta cooking water.
3. When the pasta is done, remove it from the cooking water with tongs (do not drain the pasta, as you may need additional cooking water from the pot) and add pasta to the pan of pepper and water. Toss the pasta in the sauce over low heat. Once the pasta is fully coated, remove the pan from the heat and rapidly incorporate 1 3/4 cups of the cheese. Adjust with additional hot water from the pasta pot if needed to melt the cheese and obtain the desired sauce consistency so it coats the pasta.
4. Plate the pasta and sprinkle each portion with remaining cheese and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
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