Cacio e Pepe
Directions
- 1Fill a large stockpot about halfway full of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Generously season the water with fine sea salt.
- 2Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pepper and let it cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
- 3Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is just barely al dente.
- 4Use tongs to quickly transfer the pasta directly to the sauté pan with the melted butter and pepper. Add 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pan and toss the pasta. Add half the cheese and toss, then add the remaining cheese and continue tossing, adding more pasta water if needed, until the cheese is melted and forms a smooth sauce.
- 5Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with extra black pepper and/or Pecorino if desired
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (I recommend bucatini)
- 2 tablespoons butter, diced into 1-tablespoon chunks
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground coarse black pepper
- 2 ounces finely-grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Equipment
large stockpotlarge sauté pan (preferably nonstick)fine gratertongs or spider strainer
Tips
- Read through the recipe first.
- Finely-grate the cheese by hand.
- Be sure to use a large enough sauté pan.
- Have a strainer or tongs ready to go.
- Don’t use too much pasta water.
- Don’t overcook the pasta.
- Don’t overheat the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
- Feel free to use less butter, or omit it entirely and just use extra starchy pasta water.
- If you are sensitive to black pepper, use less than the recipe suggests. If using finely-ground pepper, you will need to use less.
- If using a shorter pasta shape, use a spider strainer instead of tongs to transfer the pasta
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