Cacio e Pepe
For a recipe that only has five ingredients, this Roman pasta dish is less simple then it first seems. But it’s also crazy delicious, the kind of late-night, empty fridge recipe that dreams are made of. The success of the dish relies largely—completely, if I’m being honest—on technique, and it may take you a few attempts to perfect it. The goal is a bowl of al dente noodles cloaked in an emulsified, creamy sauce made from the combination of butter, cheese (I use a mixture of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano) and starchy pasta cooking water.
Rather than drain the pasta through a colander when it’s ready, I use tongs to transfer it directly from the water to the pan containing the butter and pepper, then add the Parmesan and toss. Some of the cooking water clings to the noodles and the pot is at my elbow if I need to add a bit more of that starchy water to the sauce to aid the emulsification. Knowing how much pasta water to add depends both on experience and the brand of dried pasta you’re using. You want to add enough to aid in the melting of the hard cheese, but not so much that the sauce becomes watery.
I like the Rustichella D’Abruzzo brand of dried pasta. If you can’t find it, look for another Italian brand that is extruded through bronze dies (the label will likely boast this), which gives the exterior of each noodle a rougher texture, something the sauce can cling to.
Serves 4
12 ounces dried spaghetti
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated with a Microplane or on the smallest holes of a box grater
⅔ cup grated Pecorino Romano, finely grated with a Microplane or on the smallest holes of a box grater
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. When the water is boiling add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the pepper and cook, swirling the pan, until it begins to sizzle, about 1 minute. Set aside.
When the pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it to the frying pan and place the pan over low heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and ½ cup of the pasta cooking water to the frying pan and, with tongs, toss the pasta until the cheese melts.
If a film of cheese begins to form on the bottom of your pan, reduce the heat. Add more pasta cooking water as necessary; the sauce should be creamy and emulsifed and coat each strand of pasta.
Remove from the heat and stir in the the Pecorino, tossing to coat. Transfer to bowls and serve hot.