Cacio e Pepe
This is a dish of timing. Because there are no fats or aromatics to hide behind, the quality of the cheese and the strength of the pasta water are everything. You are building a stable emulsion from nothing but cheese, water, and heat.
Don't skip the starch
The secret to the sauce is the white, cloudy water left behind by the pasta. Use less water than usual to boil your noodles so the concentration of starch remains high.
- Wide skillet
- Large pasta pot
- Fine-mesh grater
- Tongs
What goes in.
- 8 ozTonnarelli or high-quality spaghetti
- 2 cupsPecorino Romano, very finely grated
- 2 tbspBlack peppercorns, whole
Managing the Temperature
If the pan is too hot, the cheese will seize into rubbery clumps. Always pull your pan off the heat before introducing the cheese-water paste to ensure it melts into a smooth cream.
The method.
Toast the pepper
Crush the peppercorns coarsely with a mortar and pestle or the side of a knife. Add them to a cold dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly until the aroma fills the room.
Boil the pasta
Drop the pasta into a pot with minimal water—about half of what you would normally use—so the starch content is dense. Cook it two minutes less than the package directs.
Create the cheese paste
In a small bowl, combine the grated Pecorino with a ladle of the starchy pasta water. Stir vigorously with a fork until it forms a thick, smooth paste resembling wallpaper paste.
Finish the noodles
Transfer the undercooked pasta directly to the skillet with the toasted pepper. Add a half-cup of pasta water and finish cooking the noodles in the pan, tossing constantly.
Bind the sauce
Remove the pan from the heat entirely. Add the cheese paste to the skillet. Use tongs to vigorously stir and toss the pasta, adding splashes of pasta water as needed until the cheese melts into a pale, creamy sauce that clings to the noodles.
Other turns to take.
Mixed Cheese
Replace 25% of the Pecorino with Parmigiano-Reggiano for a slightly milder, nuttier finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a Microplane or the finest side of a box grater for the cheese; if the pieces are too large, they won't melt smoothly.
If the sauce looks thin, keep tossing—the friction and cooling temp will help it tighten.
If the sauce starts to clump, add a tablespoon of room-temperature water and keep moving the pasta.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my sauce turn into a ball of rubber?
The pan was too hot when you added the cheese. The proteins in the Pecorino contract instantly if exposed to direct, high heat.
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