Easy Cacio e Pepe Recipe (perfect every time!)
An easy cacio e pepe recipe that will become your go-to pantry staple pasta dish. My fool proof method will have you cooking this dish like a pro!
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta of your choice (or 300 grams fresh)
- 70 grams butter cubed
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper see notes
- ¾ cup pasta water
- 70 grams cheese finely grated, it can be all parmesan or a split of parmesan and pecorino
Instructions
- Please check out the step by step photos and tips above. Also make sure you watch the video below.
- Cook your pasta in a pot of well salted water according to packet instructions. I tend to undercook dried pasta by a minute so it can finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over a medium heat and add the pepper.
- Let it sizzle together for a minute.
- Add ¾ cup pasta water and whisk vigorously to emulsify. It will bubble up a lot. I like to shake the pan with my left hand and whisk with my right to really agitate it well. A flat whisk is brilliant here.
- On a medium or medium low heat let it bubble gently for a minute to thicken slightly.
- Add your cooked pasta and give it a toss in the sauce. Arrange the pasta in a nice even layer.
- Lower the heat to the lowest possible and sprinkle the cheese directly onto the pasta in an even layer.
- Let it melt gently on top for 1 - 2 minutes undisturbed (it doesn't have to be fully melted).
- With tongs, spin the pasta around and around for 30 seconds or until a silky sauce emerges.
- Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
Pasta - with my method a long shape is best as I spin it around in circles with tongs. You could make some hand rolled pici which is the traditional pairing. Otherwise a dried spaghetti is perfect.
Pasta water - this is an important ingredient so make sure you don't cook your pasta in too much water. For 200 grams of dried pasta I use about 1.75L and ¾ - 1 tablespoon of salt.
Cheese - It needs to be really finely grated. As stated above in the post, my preferred method is to blend in a processor. I use a magic bullet. It turns it into a powder which I have found the easiest to melt. Otherwise finely grated with a microplane or the star side of a box grater is great.
Keep your heat low - when the cheese is melting on top of the pasta keep the heat really low. You can use a lid to cover if you want the cheese to melt faster. If the heat is too high the pasta might stick to the bottom of the pan.
Serving size - Double to serve 4