How to store pasta cacio e pepe?

You can reheat the cacio e pepe in the microwave with a plate over it. Finish with the cheese and pepper. Add some water if it's too sticky. You can also freeze the pasta. Alternatively, you can reheat it in the oven with a splash of water and extra cheese on top, then gratinate it.

Which pasta is best for an authentic pasta cacio e pepe?

Classically, spaghetti or tonnarelli (a slightly thicker, Roman egg pasta) are usually chosen. Long, round pasta types are ideal because the creamy emulsion of cheese and pepper adheres perfectly to the strands. Don't have those at home? No panic, this cacio e pepe recipe naturally tastes fantastic with rigatoni or penne too!

Can I use Parmesan cheese instead of Pecorino Romano in the cacio e pepe sauce?

Traditional Roman pasta cacio e pepe absolutely requires Pecorino Romano, a tangy and salty sheep's cheese. If you find its flavor too strong or happen to have a block of Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese) in the fridge, you can certainly use that, or mix them 50/50 for a slightly milder taste.

Why should you dry-roast black peppercorns before adding them to cacio e pepe sauce?

By lightly crushing the peppercorns and dry-roasting them in a pan without oil or butter, the essential oils in the pepper are released. This gives your dish that typical, deep, and aromatic flavor that is indispensable in this cacio e pepe recipe. Regular pepper from a shaker simply can't compare!

Cacio e pepe recipe

Name: Cacio e pepe recipe
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4p
Ingredients: 500 g spaghetti or pasta of your choice; 200 g pecorino romano (or Parmesan cheese); 1 tbsp black peppercorns

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20min

•

Easy

Ciao bella! Today we're going back to basics with an absolute classic from Italian cuisine. Fancy a creamy pasta? Then this cacio e pepe recipe is truly your lifesaver. With just three simple ingredients, which you probably already have in your cupboard, you can conjure up this pasta dish in just 20 minutes. So simple, but sooooo flavourful!

Ingredients

What do you need?

Quantity: 4p

500 g spaghetti or pasta of your choice
200 g pecorino romano (or Parmesan cheese)
1 tbsp black peppercorns

Preparation method

How do you make this?

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Grate the pecorino finely. Cook the pasta as indicated on the package, keeping the cooking water.

Put the peppercorns in a mortar, scoop into a pan and roast for 2 minutes dry until it starts to smoke, add 2 ladles of cooking water and a large portion of the cheese.

Now keep stirring over the heat until the cheese melts and a binding is formed, add pasta and season with salt, keep stirring well, if it becomes too sticky you can keep stirring in water. Finish with the rest of the grated cheese, some more pepper from the grinder, and drizzle with olive oil.

Tips

Make sure the temperature does not exceed 65 °C when adding the Pecorino to prevent the sauce from curdling.
The dish can become very dry quickly, so stay attentive and add more cooking water if necessary.