Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Roman pasta with cheese and black pepper. Three ingredients transformed by technique into a creamy, sharp, peppery sauce. No cream, no butter.
Pasta Cacio e Pepe
A Roman classic that predates the tomato in Italian cooking. The sauce is made from two ingredients — hard cheese and black pepper — bound into a cream by starchy pasta water. No butter, no cream, no shortcuts.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 320g dry pasta (tonnarelli, rigatoni, or spaghetti)
- 80g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, finely grated
- 5g whole black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
Instructions
1. Toast the pepper Crack the peppercorns coarsely with a mortar and pestle or the flat of a heavy knife. Toast in a dry, wide pan over medium heat for 60–90 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat.
2. Cook the pasta Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt moderately — the cheese adds salt. Cook pasta to 2 minutes less than package time.
3. Build the emulsion Add 100ml of hot pasta water to the pepper pan. Bring to a simmer. Transfer the pasta directly into the pan using tongs. Toss vigorously over low heat, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time. Remove from heat. Add the grated Parmigiano in three additions, tossing constantly between each. The starch and fat will form a creamy, glossy sauce that coats each strand.
4. Serve Serve immediately with an extra grind of black pepper on top. The sauce sets as it cools — speed matters.
Notes
The traditional Roman recipe uses Pecorino Romano, not Parmigiano. This version uses Parmigiano because it is already in the Eats Logic ingredient database and produces an excellent result. The technique is identical; the flavour profile shifts from sharp and salty (Pecorino) to nutty and savoury (Parmigiano).
Temperature control is the entire challenge. Too hot: the cheese clumps into rubber. Too cold: the fat separates. The target is 65–70°C — warm enough to melt the cheese, cool enough to prevent protein seizure.