Entree: Italy – Lazio – Cacio e pepe (Pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 7 min

Cook 1 min

Total 12 min

Ingredients

- 1 lb (454 g) spaghetti or tonnarelli
- 1 1/4 cups (125 g) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 2 tsp (4 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) fine sea salt (for pasta water)

Instructions

1. Toast the freshly ground black pepper in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant; remove from heat.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt, and cook the pasta until very al dente (slightly under the package time), reserving 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of the pasta cooking water before draining.
3. In a wide bowl or shallow pot, combine the grated Pecorino Romano with about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the reserved hot pasta water to form a thick, smooth paste.
4. Add the hot drained pasta to the bowl, sprinkle in the toasted black pepper, and toss vigorously while gradually adding more reserved pasta water as needed to emulsify the cheese into a glossy, clingy sauce that coats the strands, about 1–2 minutes.
5. Serve immediately with an extra crack of black pepper and a light dusting of Pecorino.