- 400g spaghetti pasta
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 120g finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra to serve
- Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Place a large pot with water on high heat and bring to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and spaghetti pasta to the boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’ – refer to the cooking time specified in pasta packet instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 230ml of the pasta cooking liquid.
Meanwhile heat a large, deep-sided frying pan over medium heat. Add peppercorns and stir until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute). Add 150ml of the pasta cooking water and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta and Pecorino Romano cheese to the frying pan. Continue to toss well over the heat until the cheese melts and forms a smooth sauce (approximately 2-3 minutes). Add additional pasta cooking water (up to 80ml), as required, to achieve a creamy consistency.
To serve, top with extra grated Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper – buon appetito.
Spaghetti with ‘cacio e pepe’ (cacio cheese and pepper)
Our traditional spaghetti with ‘cacio e pepe’ is one the easiest recipes on Italian Spoon. With only four ingredients, this spaghetti recipe is bound to become a favourite amongst family and friends. We love that it only takes 20 minutes to cook, making it ideal for nights where you feel like something quick and easy. At Italian Spoon, we believe that pasta is the perfect solution for a satisfying and healthy meal – and our spaghetti with ‘cacio e pepe’ recipe is no exception!
Vanessa Bottaro
Vanessa is Creative Director of the Italian Spoon website and Author of The Italian entertaining cookbook, a collection of home-style Italian recipes and tips for entertaining in true Italian-style. In addition to cooking and taking photographs, Vanessa writes the recipes and blogs to bring the love of Italian cooking to life! The collection of recipes and blogs on the website have been inspired by travels to Italy and desire to share what she has learnt from the great ‘Mamma’s and ‘Nonna’s in her life!
Vanessa is an entrepreneur and wife to husband Simone and the mother of two beautiful kids Dante and Mia. Even so she was born and lives in Melbourne Australia, Vanessa has a deep connection to Italy. Perhaps it is the food, or maybe it is because it is the place where Vanessa met the love of her life, Simone to whom she has been happily married for so many years.
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