Is it just me or is "cacio e pepe," which is Italian for cheese and pepper, everywhere all of a sudden? While not a new dish, this simple combination of hard Italian cheeses--usually pecorino-romano but often also parmigiano-reggiano--combined with freshly ground pepper is really hot right now, popping up on recipe sites and restaurant menus. Mashable named it the "coolest pasta of 2016."
As simple as this dish sounds, there are some fundamentals to keep in mind to make it right. You're not just going to cook noodles and toss them with cheese, butter and pepper. There's a little more finesse involved. With cacio e pepe, you're actually making a cheese sauce, albeit a very simple one.
Although it's not listed in the ingredients for the recipe, the key ingredient in this dish is the pasta cooking water--hot (but no longer boiling) salty water saturated with starch sloughed off from the cooked pasta. In this dish, finely grated cheese is whisked into this hot water, which melts the cheese. The starch in the water acts as a stabilizing ingredient. According to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking, starch coats the protein and fat components of the cheese and keeps them from coming back together. He also notes that when cheese are exposed to temperatures above their melting point, they tend to get clumpy. Since the melting point of pecorino and parmesan cheeses is about 180 F (and the boiling point of water is 212 F), you don't want to "cook" this sauce on a hot stove, but you also don't want that leftover pasta cooking water to sit around too long get cool, at which point it won't be warm enough to melt the cheese. That's what actually makes getting this dish just right a bit challenging--you want that sweet spot temperature that will make a the cheese melt into a smooth sauce. When I made it, I think my water may have been a bit too hot, as my sauce was a bit clumpy. This is the sort of dish that benefits from repeated experiences until you get it right.
Whether you put other ingredients in cacio e pepe pasta is up to you. Some insist that it needs nothing other than pasta, cheese and pepper (some even insist that it only be made with pecorino romano and not also parmesan). On the other hand, America's Test Kitchen's recipe includes cream and olive oil. I added some butter to my sauce to increase its richness and because butter and pasta just go together so well.
Cacio e Pepe Pasta
Adapted from multiple sources, particularly America's Test Kitchen
Note: I used a Microplane to finely grate the cheese. In addition to the ingredients below, you'll need to reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the hot pasta cooking water once the pasta is done cooking.
3 quarts water
1 tsp. salt (or more or less to taste)
1 lb. dried bucatini pasta
4 oz. finely grated pecorino-romano cheese
2 oz. finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1. Place 2 oz. of the pecorino-romano and all of the parmigiano-reggiano cheese in a medium-size bowl.
2. Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Add the pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Working quickly, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander and set aside in the large pot off the stove.
3. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water into the medium-size bowl with the mixture of grated cheeses until they form a smooth sauce, then whisk in the butter and pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to combine. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls topped with additional grated pecorino cheese and, if desired, more freshly ground pepper.
FAQs
But it is extremely hard to execute well because you need to control the heat. The cheese will become stringy if you heat up your pan too much (above 70 °C or 158 °F). I tested all the methods, so you do not need to! Cacio e Pepe is rare in restaurants because it is hard to serve warm without the corn starch trick.
How to not mess up cacio e pepe? ›
Only use finely grated cheese
Go for finely grated cheese to get that smooth blend. Moreover, If you're not a fan of using all pecorino Romano? No worries! Instead mix it up by adding Parmigiano Reggiano in too – try 50/50 – for a bit of a twist.
Why can't I make cacio e pepe? ›
You can clearly see this happening if you try to cook cacio e pepe in a pan that's too hot: The cheese proteins form a film on the bottom of the pan. Cheese on the bottom: an indication that the pan was a little too hot. The only real solution is to not let it happen in the first place.
What is the secret of cacio e pepe? ›
For a Smoother Sauce, Start with a Cheese Paste
So, to make the best cacio e pepe, you want to start by making a cheese paste. It's an extra step, but trust me, this is worth it, and it doesn't add any extra time to the dish: You can do it while the pasta water is boiling.
How do you thicken cacio e pepe? ›
- Add a little more pasta water than you think you need (the pasta will continue to soak it up and the sauce will thicken on your plate).
What pasta shape is best for cacio e pepe? ›
Spaghetti is the traditional pasta for cacio e pepe, but even Roman establishments now use popular shapes such as rigatoni, bucatini, and thick, square-cut noodles called tonnarelli. Use a good quality brand that cooks evenly and retains its al dente bite.
Why is my cacio e pepe too salty? ›
The key is to find that goldilocks balance! Adding a little bit of cold water to the cheese and pepper before can help balance out the hot pasta water, creating that perfect, creamy sauce. Use a little less salt than you normally would for your pasta water. Remember that the Pecorino Romano is already very salty!
How do you fix clumped pasta? ›
If your noodles are clumping, your best bet is to dump them into a colander and run cold water over top. They'll loosen up and then you can rewarm them gently in the sauce. Your other choice is to toss or sauté the pasta with a bit of oil or fat to coat it — slippery noodles will slide apart from one another.
Where did Anthony Bourdain have cacio e pepe? ›
The specific cacio e pepe that Bourdain loves best comes from Ristorante Roma Sparita in Rome, where the smooth, buttery, cheesy pasta is served in a bowl made of Parmesan. It looks amazing. While gushing over the pasta, Bourdain said he'd give up his first sexual experience to eat it again.
What can I use instead of pecorino in cacio e pepe? ›
Cacio e Pepe Variations
Pecorino Romano is a hard, Italian sheep's milk cheese. It has sharp, rich nutty flavor, making it the perfect cheese for this simple pasta dish. If you don't have it or can't find it Parmigiano-Reggiano is a totally acceptable alternative.
Don't overheat the sauce.
If you've ever had the cheese clump up or stick to the pan when making cacio e pepe (very common, but always such a tragedy!), it was likely due to the cheese being overheated. Be absolutely sure that the burner is turned off below the sauté pan with the melted butter.
Why does my cheese clump in cacio e pepe? ›
These include pecorino romano as well as parmesan, which Giada De Laurentiis adds to her cacio e pepe. These cheeses can also clump when they're not grated finely enough, so grate your pecorino using the smallest holes on your box grater or the finest blade on your food processor.
How do you use jarred cacio e pepe sauce? ›
Directions: Shake before opening. Heat and serve with pasta, meats or seafood. Heat sauce on stovetop or microwave.
Is cacio e pepe hard? ›
Technique is everything with cacio e pepe. Making a creamy sauce that coats the noodles takes a bit of elbow grease and vigorous stirring, but once you've done it a couple of times it becomes easy.
How is cacio e pepe supposed to taste? ›
The translation of Cacio e Pepe literally means cheese and pepper. This pasta dish is incredibly simple, but packs a lot of rich flavor with pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground pepper. It has a very rich and strong flavor due to the Pecorino Romano sharp cheese as well as the heavy amount of pepper.
What is special about cacio e pepe? ›
But what makes cacio e pepe so special, you might ask? It's all in the technique. The key to a perfect cacio e pepe is getting the right consistency for the sauce. It should be creamy and smooth, but not too thick - the cheese and pepper should coat the pasta, but not clump together.
How to melt cheese without clumping? ›
Hot liquids, like pasta water, heavy cream, melted butter, or beaten eggs, help distribute melted cheese evenly by surrounding it with heat. Since every bit of surface area is in contact with hot liquid, the cheese melts at the same rate. No clumps to be found, just a glossy, luscious sauce.
