Perfect Cacio e Pepe
Serves 6 to 8
Time 15 min
With this six-ingredient recipe for cheese and pepper pasta, the hardest thing you’ll do is grind a full tablespoon of black pepper, but it’s worth it! Because there are so few ingredients in this classic Roman dish, quality is key — make sure the pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano are freshly grated and use your very best olive oil. Watch our how-to video.
Special Diets:
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add pasta and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes.
Just before draining pasta, reserve 3/4 cup cooking water.
Heat butter and oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat.
When oil is shimmering, add pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer pasta to the skillet and add reserved water, stirring to coat.
Add cheese and salt and toss quickly until sauce is creamy and noodles are evenly coated.
Serve immediately, garnished with cheese.
Nutritional Info:
Per serving: 370 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 510mg sodium, 49g carbohydrates (6g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 15g protein.
Note: We've provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember - we're cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil