Cacio e Pepe

Name: Cacio e Pepe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 120g spaghetti; 1.5 tsp fresh ground black pepper; 55g pecorino cheese, grated; salt

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Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

120g spaghetti
1.5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
55g pecorino cheese, grated
salt

Directions

COOK THE PASTA

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add spaghetti and swirl until fully submerged.
Cook pasta for 8 minutes, then pour off 250ml (1 cup) of pasta water into a heatproof jug. Continue cooking pasta for 2 more minutes, then strain.
Add an ice cube to the jug to bring the pasta water temperature down (ideally to 70°C).

FINISH AND SERVE

Toast the pepper in a deep frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute, until aromatic. Turn off heat.
Place the cheese in a medium bowl and stir in the reserved pasta water 60ml (¼ cup) at a time, until the cheese has melted.
Pour cheese mixture into frying pan, making sure the pan is not too hot but not cold, and stir to combine with pepper, then add the pasta and begin stirring vigorously until mixture emulsifies and becomes a sauce, about 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Origins

Cacio e Pepe is a traditional Italian dish from the pastoral regions of Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria and Abruzzo where Shepherds would take non-perishable ingredients to make a calorie rich, warm meal on long journeys. The dish gained popularity as a simple, sustaining dish for rural workers.

Cook support

Make sure you cool down the pasta water before adding it with the cheese to avoid clumps and ensure you have a nice silky emulsion.

Once the pasta has been added to the pan you will need to constantly stir for several minutes to create a creamy sauce, don’t give up if it doesn’t come together instantly….just keep stirring.

Storage

This is best served immediately as the sauce will not reheat as well as when first made.

Serving ideas

Simply increase the ingredient quantities to serve more people, however the larger the batch the heavier the stirring process will be.