Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper), an Italian pasta recipe that is made with only 4 simple ingredients: spaghetti, black pepper, pecorino cheese and a splash of olive oil. This iconic Roman dish, known for its bold flavour and simplicity, is perfect as a romantic meal for 2, or just a fancy dinner whenever you feel like spoiling your taste buds. Quick, simple, what a treat!
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 568kcal
Ingredients
- 200 g spaghetti (7 oz)
- 90 g pecorino cheese (3 oz)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the spaghetti to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions recommend, so the pasta is just slightly al dente.
- Meanwhile, heat up a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the freshly-ground black pepper, and toss for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the olive oil and toss again to enhance the flavour.
- Add a quarter of a cup or 65 ml of the pasta water to the pan.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, reserve half of a cup of the starchy water, then transfer the pasta to the peppery water, and lower the heat to low.
- Toss the spaghetti for 1 minute to finish cooking and absorb the peppery water.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the pasta to cool down for 1 minute.
- Add the finely grated pecorino and toss vigorously, adding more of the reserved pasta water until you get a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Serve immediately with extra grated pecorino and black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Always remove the pan from the heat before mixing in the cheese, or it will go clumpy, rather than smooth and creamy. The same goes for pasta carbonara, where the eggs split over high heat.
- The cheese has to be finely grated for a smooth finish, coarsely grated pecorino will result in lumpy sauce. Always use the starchy water in which the pasta cooked, it makes the best base for any sauce, plus it clings better to the cooked pasta.
- Lightly toasting the black pepper enhances the flavour, I highly recommend this step, you will definitely notice the difference. Once the pasta goes in, you really need to toss vigorously for a smooth finish.
Nutrition
Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Calcium: 509mg | Iron: 2mg