Cacio e Pepe
Three ingredients, one pan of starchy water, and the most argued-about sauce in Rome.
Ingredients
- 320g tonnarelli or spaghetti
- 150g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 2 tsp black peppercorns, cracked
- Salt
Method
- 1
Boil the pasta in lightly salted water — less water than usual, so it stays starchy.
- 2
Toast the cracked pepper in a dry wide pan for 30 seconds.
- 3
Ladle in a little pasta water and swirl to make a peppery broth.
- 4
Off the heat, mix the pecorino with a few spoons of cooled pasta water into a paste.
- 5
Toss the drained pasta with the paste and pepper broth until glossy.
Pecorino is pricier than parmesan but you use it undiluted — one 200g wedge covers four dinners.
Cooking this way every week? Read our guide to the Mediterranean diet on a budget for the pantry list, cost-saving swaps and a 7-day plan.
The Trattoria Trail
This recipe is one of six in the printable ebook — the same recipes, collected as a PDF you can cook from offline or print.
See the ebook