Cacio e Pepe is not only such a satisfying luxurious meal. It also makes for an excellent creamy side dish with various meats. It's also the perfect dish to learn the Italian techniques in creating a pan pasta dish that opens the door for other Italian Pasta dishes. Such as Carbonara, Pasta alla Gricia, Amatriciana, all employing the same technique. While Cacio e Pepe or this version, better named Cacio e Parmigiano only consists of four ingredients. It really is the technique that creates an outstanding dish and we got all the tips to help you create your quick plate of Creamy Italian Cheese Pasta, in about 20 minutes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 454 g Pasta - Tonnarelli, Bucatini, or Spaghetti
- 227 g Parmigiano Reggiano - finely grated - Anywhere from 25% to 50% of the Pasta weight. See notes for using Pecorino
- 1 Tbl Crushed Black Peppercorn - Or more for hotter
Pasta Water
- 16 C Water
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt - Use 1/2 Tbl if using Pecorino Cheese
Instructions
- Pasta Water: Bring the Pot of Pasta Water to a boil on the back burner. While it comes to a boil, Finley grate the Cheese, weighing out on a digital scale. Weigh out your Pasta in a tall glass and set aside. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until Al Dente, about 13 minutes.
- Softened Black Peppercorn: When 5 minutes of the pasta cook time remains, heat a pan or skillet over medium heat. Crush the Whole Black Peppercorns and toast just until aromatic. Then add 1 Cup of Pasta Water and mix. Keep it here until ready for the pasta. The water will soften the peppercorns and mostly evaporate.
- Starchy Sauce: Shut the heat off for the boiling pasta and grab the Pasta out with tongs, carrying over some pasta water into the pan. Keep the heat at medium and mix very aggressively until you get a thickened sauce. Add more pasta water if needed. It should be a bit thin, which will be thickened again by the cheese added. This will take about 3 minutes of mixing.
- Cheese: Shut the heat off and set aside the pan. Sprinkle a handful of parmigiano on top and mix aggressively. Repeat until all the cheese is used up. Add more pasta water if needed to adjust the consistency. The cheese sauce should be creamy and cling to the pasta. Serve right away, optionally with more grated cheese on top.
Notes
Aged Pecorino Romano DOP: Use about 100g - 114g of Pecorino for 400g-454g of Pasta. Temper the bowl of freshly grated Pecorino with pasta water after you have thickened the pasta water in the pan with the pan set aside off heat. Repeat adding a small amount of pasta water to the bowl of Pecorino and mixing. Once the Pecorino Cheese sauce is formed, add it to the pan with the pasta to mix. Adjust with more pasta water as needed.
If the pasta is too hot, the sauce will break. Pecorino Romano has a low melting point (130-140F/55-60C). When it gets too hot, it clumps, becomes gritty or stringy, and loses its emulsion properties.