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

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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.

Notes

PRO TIP: Fresh grated from the block of cheese is the only way to go with this!

PRO TIP: 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.

PRO TIP: 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.

Nutrition