Culinary/Recipes/Cacio e Pepe

A classic Roman pasta dish that is peppery and creamy with an emulsion made from Sheep's milk cheese and starchy pasta water.

This recipe is for one serving.

Ingredients

For the Pasta:

• 80g (2.8 oz) spaghetti or your preferred pasta
• Salt for boiling water

For the Sauce:

• 20g (0.7 oz) Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly and finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (adjust to taste)
• Reserved pasta cooking water

Method

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil - the water should taste salty. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions or until it's al dente.

• While the pasta is cooking, in a small saucepan toast the freshly ground pepper gently until fragrant, then add a ladle of cooking water to simmer.

• When the pasta is al dente, scoop out the pasta from the cooking water and into the pan.

• Add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese to the saucepan and remove from the heat. Stir quickly to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water to reach your desired consistency. If it is too thin apply heat gently to reduce the consistency, but be careful not to split the emulsion. The sauce should be creamy and glossy. The heat from the pasta will melt the cheese and create a creamy, cheesy coating.

• Serve immediately, garnished with an extra grating of Pecorino Romano and a bit more freshly ground black pepper if desired.