Cacio e Pepe Sauce

Name: Cacio e Pepe Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups grated pecorino romano; 2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper; 1 cup reserved starchy pasta water

4 servings5 min prep8 min cookMedium

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Cacio e Pepe Sauce

Story updated September 18, 2026

This sauce traces to Roman shepherds, who traditionally carried dried pasta, aged pecorino cheese, and black pepper on long journeys because the ingredients required no refrigeration. Their improvised trail meal became one of Rome's most iconic and technique-driven pasta preparations.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 1/2 cups grated pecorino romano
2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
1 cup reserved starchy pasta water

Instructions

1Toast cracked black pepper in a dry skillet 1 minute, until fragrant.
2Add a splash of hot pasta water and reduce heat to low.
3Off heat, toss in the pecorino a bit at a time with hot cooked pasta, adding pasta water gradually until a creamy sauce forms.
4Serve immediately.

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