Cacio e Pepe

5 from 1 vote

A cheesy smooth sauce, spaghetti and black pepper are all you need for this cacio e pepe; one of the simplest recipes around.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 423kcal

2 teaspoons salt
½ pound spaghetti noodles (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese finely grated from a block is best
2 to 4 tablespoons salted and starchy pasta water reserved from the boiling of the spaghetti noodles

In a large stock pot, filled with about 4 quarts of boiling water, add the salt. Once the salt has dissolved add the spaghetti noodles and continue to boil for another 8 to 9 minutes or al dente.
About a minute or so before your pasta is done boiling, add the butter and black pepper to a large skillet, on medium-low heat to toast the pepper for 30 seconds in the melted butter. Turn off the heat to the skillet.
Add the freshly grated parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and vigorously stir with the back of a wooden spoon until the cheese forms a loose sauce. You can add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed.
When your pasta is done cooking, using a large strainer, transfer the pasta to the skillet with the cheese sauce and quickly toss to completely coat the pasta with the sauce.
Transfer your cacio e pepe pasta to a serving dish and garnish with additional freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh cracked black pepper.

Fresh grated from the block of cheese is the only way to go with this!
This spaghetti cacio e pepe is not a very “saucy” dish, and the cheese melts into the pasta pretty quickly, so I highly suggest serving immediately for best results. If you like a little more sauce, then you can add a little bit of additional cheese and pasta cooking water to create more sauce.
When you get a block of parmesan or pecorino romano cheese and grate it yourself, make sure to save your cheese rind. You can freeze it in a zip-top bag and use it to flavor soups and sauces at a later time.