Cacio e Pepe

This Cacio e Pepe recipe showcases the beauty of simplicity, using just pasta, cheese, and pepper to create a luxuriously creamy dish. Toasted peppercorns lend a smoky depth while high-quality Pecorino Romano delivers bold, salty richness. By combining the cheese and pepper with starchy pasta water off-heat, the sauce emulsifies perfectly—no clumps, no cream. Creamy, cheesy, peppery, and totally satisfying, it’s a Roman classic done right.

Author: These Carbs Don't Count

Category: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 plates

Calories: 429 kcal per serving

Ingredients

½ pound - tonnarelli pasta
⅛ - Salt
1 tablespoon - whole black peppercorns
1 ¼ cup - Pecorino Romano PDO cheese
½ cup - reserved pasta water

Instructions

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the whole peppercorns until aromatic (about 2–3 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
Crush the peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until coarsely ground.
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve at least 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.
In a heat-safe bowl, mix grated Pecorino Romano with the ground pepper. Slowly add a few tablespoons of hot pasta water, stirring constantly to form a smooth, thick paste.
Return drained pasta to a warm skillet off the heat. Add the cheese-pepper mixture and toss to coat the noodles evenly.
Add small splashes of pasta water as needed while tossing until the sauce is glossy and fully coats the pasta.
Serve immediately, topped with additional Pecorino Romano and a sprinkle of ground black pepper.