Apr 6, 2010

Cheese and Pepper Pasta (Cacio e Pepe)

Less is more in this elemental Roman pasta dish, which takes its spiciness from cracked black pepper toasted in oil. We featured this pasta recipe as part of writer Anya von Bremzen's ode to Rome, "Eternal Pleasures," in our April 2010 issue.

Photo: Penny De Los Santos

Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. pasta, preferably tonnarelli or spaghetti
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper, plus more
to taste
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
3⁄4 cup finely grated Cacio de Roma

1. Bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente, 8–10 minutes; reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add pepper; cook until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Ladle 3⁄4 cup pasta water into skillet; bring to a boil. Using tongs, transfer pasta to skillet; spread it evenly. Sprinkle 3⁄4 cup each Pecorino Romano and Cacio de Roma over pasta; toss vigorously to combine until sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta without clumping, about 2 minutes, adding some pasta water if necessary. Transfer to 4 plates and sprinkle with remaining Pecorino and more pepper.

Pairing Note A medium-bodied sangiovese, like the 2005 Brancaia Tre Toscana ($21), will complement this dish's peppery notes. — David Rosengarten

SERVES 4

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #128

Subscribe now

Ratings & Reviews (11)

by caro1inagir1 on 2010-03-15

I have made my own variation of this forever! noodles, butter, fresh cracked pepper, salt, and parmesan (usually out of the can----sorry.)

by carebearnj on 2010-03-16

I just made this and it was delicious and really easy! I couldn't find Cacio de Roma so I used a Boschetto al Tartufo instead. Even if I had just used all Pecorino Romano I can tell this would have tasted fantastic. I loved the lingering pepperiness and the salty cheese. This is comfort food worthy of guests!

by househistorian on 2010-03-17

Thanks for spreading the word about what has to be one of the most sublime pasta recipes around. My partner and I had this for the first time last April on our first day touring Rome. It was in a little restaurant just to the east of the Coloseum. I have been maling it ever since. Some purists would question the use of oil or anything other than pecorino romano but the spirit of the dish is there.

I like to add some roughly chopped rucola selvatica at the end for some colour and an extra layer of peppery flavour. Buon appetito!

by househistorian on 2010-03-17

Thanks for spreading the word about what has to be one of the most sublime pasta recipes around. My partner and I had this for the first time last April on our first day touring Rome. It was in a little restaurant just to the east of the Coloseum. I have been making it ever since. Some purists would question the use of oil or anything other than pecorino romano but the spirit of the dish is there.

I like to add some roughly chopped rucola selvatica at the end for some colour and an extra layer of peppery flavour. Buon appetito!

by lawromeo on 2010-03-21

one the best i've tasted so far. takes me back to rome...i added more pepper than required and parmesan instead of cacio and it worked great. i still have to try it with cacio de roma.

by taebaek83 on 2010-03-25

Great recipe. I knew it would be good. i didn't realize it would be this good

by Themomchef on 2010-06-28

Simple to prepare and wonderful flavors, even if you can't find Cacio e Pepe. Read my entire review at: http://themomchef.blogspot.com/2010/06/cacio-e-pepe-from-saveur-magazine-april.html

by pixiedusttt on 2010-11-14

Found this, hope it helps....

Cacio de Roma - Once the cheese obtains its form, it is bathed in sea salt for 24 hours and then aged on wood in cellars for thirty days. The end result is a creamy textured sheep's milk cheese with a mild, balanced flavor finishing with a touch of fruit.

by MANDAMANDA on 2011-01-22

I used only Pecorino Romano cheese and substituted linguine for spaghetti, but otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. The dish came out wonderfully! The flavor of each ingredient shined through; nothing was masked so one fully appreciates the sharpness, richness and saltiness of the Pecorino; the “full” and “round” flavor of the pasta and the bite of the black pepper.

In addition to this, the texture of the dish was perfect – the ¾ c of pasta water kept the cheese from clumping. I find Cacio e Pepe so much better than the somewhat similar Fettuccine Alfredo. In fact, Cacio e Pepe is now my favorite pasta dish! It’s my new comfort food and it’s so quick and easy to prepare.

by MANDAMANDA on 2011-01-22

This recipe is perfect!

by falsetti on 2011-01-31

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes. I use Pecorino Toscano in place of the Cacio de Roma as it is much easier to find. Both Wegmans and Whole Foods carry it.

Cheese and Pepper Pasta (Cacio e Pepe) 5 5 9 11