Cacio e Pepe

Name: Cacio e Pepe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 lb tonnarelli or spaghetti; 2 cups Pecorino Romano, finely grated; 2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper; Salt for pasta water

4 servings5 min prep15 min cookMedium Italy

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Cacio e Pepe

Story updated September 17, 2026

Cacio e Pepe, pasta tossed with pecorino cheese and black pepper, is one of Rome's oldest and simplest dishes, likely rooted in the practical fare of shepherds whose ingredients, hard cheese, pepper, and dried pasta, traveled and kept well. It's considered one of the four defining Roman pastas alongside carbonara, gricia, and amatriciana.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 lb tonnarelli or spaghetti
2 cups Pecorino Romano, finely grated
2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
Salt for pasta water

Instructions

1Toast cracked black pepper in a dry skillet until fragrant.
2Cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente, reserving plenty of starchy pasta water.
3Whisk Pecorino with a splash of pasta water into a smooth paste.
4Add drained pasta to the skillet with pepper and a ladle of pasta water, tossing over low heat.
5Off heat, add the Pecorino paste and toss vigorously, adding pasta water as needed to form a creamy sauce.
6Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and pepper.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…