There’s NO better combination than a classic Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper) in my opinion and this is one of our all time favorite comfort foods. It’s smooth, creamy, nutty, perfectly peppery and SO SIMPLE TO MAKE. The beauty is that you only need a few ingredients and the finely grated cheese melds with the heavily salted pasta water to create the most delicious and fragrant sauce. You’ve GOT to try it.
It’s so easy and just goes to show that sometimes the simplest dishes are the most delicious. I like using both Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano but you can totally stick to just pecorino. Hope you enjoy!
How To Make My Classic Cacio e Pepe
Here’s a video of how I made this classic Cacio e Pepe! For another delicious pasta, check out this Spaghetti Limoné method.
Ingredients
- 1 box bronze-cut spaghetti, tonnarelli, or bucatini
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano DOP
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- Pasta water (at least 1/2 cup)
Recipe Method Notes
- Create a cream sauce with freshly grated cheese and pasta water.
- Don’t use too much water to boil the pasta as you want it to be starchy.
- Make sure pasta is very al dente as it will continue cooking in the sauce.
- Make sure you use freshly grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Top with additional Pecorino Romano & black pepper.
- Reserve extra pasta water and use as needed until the sauce reaches desired consistency.