Cacio e Pepe Recipe

The magic here is how much flavor comes from so little: 12 ounces of spaghetti, 1/4 cup of sharp Pecorino Romano, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. The cheese brings a salty, pleasantly tangy edge, while the pepper adds a warm, toasted bite rather than simple heat. It is a deliberately spare Italian dinner, but it never tastes plain. In about 20 minutes, you get four servings of glossy pasta with a thin, savory coating that clings to every strand. Start by bringing a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Before draining, reserve the full cup of pasta water; this starchy water is what turns the grated Pecorino into a sauce instead of a dry layer of cheese. While the pasta cooks, toast the black pepper in a large skillet over medium heat for a minute or two. When it smells fragrant, add a splash of the reserved water to bloom the pepper and create the base of the sauce. The main challenge is keeping the Pecorino smooth. Take the skillet off the heat before adding the drained spaghetti, then toss with a little pasta water. Mix the cheese with a few tablespoons of warm, not boiling, pasta water in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Add that mixture to the skillet gradually, tossing constantly and loosening with more pasta water as needed. If the pan is too hot, the cheese can seize into stubborn clumps; if the pasta looks dry, keep adding water a tablespoon or two at a time. The finished sauce should look loose in the pan because it thickens as it cools around the spaghetti. Serve it immediately, while the strands are at their silkiest, with an extra scattering of Pecorino and black pepper if you like. The recipe makes a quick weeknight dinner, but its simplicity also suits a relaxed Italian-style meal with a crisp green salad, roasted broccoli, or sautéed greens on the side. I especially like it with a lightly dressed arugula salad, whose peppery freshness echoes the black pepper in the pasta. A chilled dry white wine or sparkling water keeps the meal bright without competing with the salty cheese.