Cacio e Pepe
Updated June 22, 2026
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Salt
1 ½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for dusting completed dish
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more for finishing the dish
¾ pound tonnarelli or other long pasta like linguine or spaghetti
Good olive oil
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
68 grams carbs; 77 milligrams cholesterol; 678 calories; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1152 milligrams sodium; 40 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and black pepper; mash with just enough cold water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly in the bowl.
- Step 2
Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. The second before it is perfectly cooked (taste it frequently once it begins to soften), reserve a cup or so of the cooking water, then use tongs to quickly transfer the pasta to the bowl. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be creamy but not watery.
- Step 3
Plate and dust each dish with additional pecorino and pepper. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Just wanted to say that everyone arguing about authenticity of this recipe or any variation thereof is doing the most authentically Roman thing you can do.
Sorry guys but this is not the right way to make Cacio e Pepe. You transfer the pasta into a skillet, put some of the pasta water there and slowly add the cheese while flip mixing the pasta to create your sauce that sticks. You have to do this for a good 1-2 minutes.
Peter's right: transfer pasta to a skillet with some pasta water when it's still 1-2 minutes undercooked and gradually add the cheese (+ more water if needed). But the most important detail for absolutely delicious cacio e pepe - toast whole peppercorns in a small cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, shaking occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until aromatic or until they start to dance around in the skillet. Crush in a mortal and pestle and use instead of raw pepper. Amazing!
I followed the recipe and the cheese became a lumpy mess.
Then pepper has to be cooked lightly in the skillet before adding to the mix.
It doesn’t work; like 99.9% of Cacio e Pepe recipes you end up with a glob of pepper and cheese and no sauce on the pasta. The only one that works is on the marvelous website Burnt Butter. She’s a genius. Reserve a cup of pasta water at end of the pasta cooking so it has significant starch (use less water than usual to promote more starch). While pasta cooks, grind 40 grams pepper and put it in a high sided saucier or skillet with 70 grams of butter to slowly sauté for a couple of minutes while you finely grind 70 g of pecorino put the pecorino to the side. When the pasta is al dente, tong it into the butter and pepper and vigorously stir with silicon tipped tongs, adding pasta water as you go. don’t worry if it seems too liquidy the cheese following will thicken it up Once that has emulsified and the sauce and pasta are combined, then (off the heat) sprinkle the pecorino carefully over the pasta in an even layer; do not disturb it for at least one or two minutes. It doesn’t have to completely melt, but it should melt significantly, then go back to work with the tongs, stirring the pasta vigorously; you’ll end up with your spaghetti coated with caccio e pepe sauce. Traditionalists will equivocate about using butter, but this dish is better than any I’ve had in even fine Italian restaurants outside of Rome. The Burnt Butter Web Site is superb. If you go on it, you’ll see a video of the process which is quite helpful.