Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (2024)

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If you love simple and easy pasta dishes, this spaghetti cacio e pepe recipe is totally for you! This silky and creamy pasta is made with just spaghetti noodles, cheese, lots and lots of black pepper, plus one secret ingredient that makes it foolproof every time…

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (1)

Cacio e Pepe Recipe

I’ve been a Rachael Ray fan girl since day one. Picture me back in 2001: just 11 months wed and about 4 months pregnant, still struggling with morning (really ALL DAY) sickness. Coming home from work with barely enough energy to slap together a PB&J, let alone cook a full meal…

And suddenly 30 Minute Meals makes its Food Network debut, and it’s SUCH a refreshing change of pace. Rachael was so real and truly had a knack for making me feel like she was speaking to ME and only me. Her meals looked so easy, and I loved that they were all real food based. And just 30 minutes? I think I can manage that.

Let’s just say we ate a LOT of 30-minute meals that year. I won’t say they were all a homerun, but most were good enough, and a few are gems that I still make today. Like this divine parmesan crusted chicken and the most foolproof cacio e pepe recipe you will ever make!

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Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (2)

What Is Cacio e Pepe?

Wait, you’re not sure what cacio e pepe pasta is? Oh, girl, you have been missing out! If you adore a good 3-ingredient pasta dish (olive oil pasta, anyone?), I know you will totally fall for this easy cacio e pepe.

Okay, so at its most basic, an authentic cacio e pepe recipe is simply Pecorino Romano cheese, pasta, and lots and lots of black pepper. In fact, cacio e pepe literally means “cheese and pepper” in Italian. The secret? It uses the hot starchy water from cooking the pasta to bind everything together into a rich and creamy comfort food pasta that’s just as ideal for a quick and easy dinner as it is for entertaining guests.

Is there a catch? Well, sort of… Have you ever tried to mix oil and water? Yeah, mixing Pecorino Romano cheese and starchy cooking water can be just about as difficult. Combining them into a creamy delicious sauce without any clumps can be challenging, to say the least. But Rachael has the secret to making it work EVERY TIME!

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (3)

How To Make Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Start by cooking your pasta in a large pot of salted water until it’s just a couple minutes shy of al dente. I used a flat spaghetti (also known as chitarra or tonnarelli), but feel free to make spaghetti cacio e pepe with the regular spaghetti you normally keep in your pantry. It’s all good!

While the pasta is cooking, bring a cup-and-a-half of water to a low boil in a large skillet. When the pasta is ready, ladle out about half a cup of the starchy cooking water, and then drain the pasta.

Here’s the secret to making the magic happen: whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the reserved cooking water, and then whisk this mixture into the boiling water in the skillet. Whisk in the cheese, and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens (about 3-4 minutes). Toss the cooked pasta in the cheese sauce, add in LOTS of freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (4)

Best Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Bam! Silky, creamy, and totally amazing pasta cacio e pepe every. single. time. While it’s not a truly authentic cacio e pepe, I think it’s the BEST cacio e pepe recipe. The cornstarch serves to stabilize the cheese sauce, making it truly foolproof without changing the flavor.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take a recipe that works consistently over a fussy authentic recipe any day!

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (5)

Are you drooling, yet? Some side dish suggestions are this yummy Italian chopped salad or this easy 15-minute homemade garlic bread (or both if you’re hosting guests). Either way, I wouldn’t count on any leftovers. Enjoy!

PIN IT NOW! CLICK HERE TO ADD THIS CACIO E PEPE RECIPE TO YOUR EASY RECIPES BOARD ON PINTEREST!

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (6)

Foolproof Cacio e Pepe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

If you love simple and easy pasta dishes, this cacio e pepe recipe is totally for you! This silky and creamy pasta is made with just spaghetti noodles, cheese, lots and lots of black pepper, plus one secret ingredient that makes it foolproof every time...

Ingredients

  • 1-lb. spaghetti
  • 4-oz. grated Pecorino Romano cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the boiling water and add the spaghetti. Cook until just shy of al dente according to package instructions, about 10 minutes.
  2. When the pasta is done cooking, ladle out 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water into a small bowl, and then drain the pasta.
  3. In a large skillet, bring about 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil.
  4. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved cooking water to make a slurry. Then whisk this slurry into the boiling water in the skillet. Add the cheese and cook until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes, whisking often. If the sauce doesn't seem like it's coming together, mix another teaspoon of cornstarch with a little extra water and add it, while continuing to whisk.
  5. Off heat, toss the pasta with the cheese sauce and desired amount of freshly ground black pepper until well coated. Serve with additional freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 521.6Total Fat: 11.1gSaturated Fat: 6.0gCholesterol: 25.0mgSodium: 350.7mgCarbohydrates: 87.8gFiber: 4.4gSugar: 2.0gProtein: 22.2g

Have you tried this recipe?

Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag it @unsophisticook and hashtag it #unsophisticook!

P.S. Want another amazingly easy cheesy pasta recipe? This Instant Pot cream cheese pasta can’t be beat!! Have it on your table ready to serve with just 5 ingredients in under 20 minutes…

I’d love to see how your cacio e pepe turns out… Tag me @Unsophisticook, along with @PotsandPansCom, on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe – Unsophisticook (2024)

FAQs

How do I make sure Cacio e Pepe doesn't clump? ›

Use the best imported Pecorino Romano that you can afford. Grate cheese yourself. Freshly-grated Pecorino Romano is a MUST in this Cacio e Pepe recipe. If you use pre-grated cheese, your sauce will by clumpy.

What is the secret of Cacio e Pepe? ›

Tips for Making Cacio e Pepe

Let the pasta cool slightly—Ripping hot pasta plus finely shredded or grated cheese inevitably yields a clumpy sauce. Letting the pasta cool for 2 minutes before tossing ensures a perfectly creamy sauce.

Why Cacio e Pepe is so hard to perfectly execute? ›

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.

Why is my Cacio e Pepe always stringy? ›

That said, as simple as the cacio e pepe ingredient list may be, this dish is famously finicky when it comes to technique. If the cheese is overheated or the starchy pasta water isn't emulsified properly, the sauce can turn into a sticky, clumpy mess, which I can vouch from experience is always such a tragedy.

How do you keep cheese from clumping in pasta? ›

Adding the sauce slowly, bit-by-bit, as you stir the liquid and pasta in your pot will make the cheese melt evenly and avoid clumping. Think of it like this: Would you have more success carrying 500 pounds of pasta up the stairs at once, or making multiple trips with a fraction of that 500 pounds at a time?

How do you keep cheese from clumping in cheese sauce? ›

It's most likely because the sauce is too hot at the point at which you're adding cheese. Make sure the heat is relatively low, and add the cheese a little at a time while stirring gently. Too much acid content in a sauce (lemon, etc.) can also cause problems for dairy.

Why isn t my cacio e pepe creamy? ›

You might not suspect this, but the way the cheese is grated is key to making perfect Cacio e Pepe. Indeed, if the cheese is grated too coarsely, it won't emulsify into a smooth sauce, and you'll end up with blobs of coagulated cheese.

Is pecorino or Parmesan better for cacio e pepe? ›

Classic versions call for just pasta, salted water, freshly ground pepper, and Pecorino Romano, a Roman sheep's milk cheese. Ours tosses a bit of Grana Padano or Parmesan into the mix for a more rounded cheese flavor that melds warmth, nuttiness, and sharpness.

How do you emulsify Cacio e Pepe sauce? ›

Add pepper and cook ('bloom'), until fragrant and toasted. Use tongs to pull pasta into the pan (this way you are reserving all the pasta water), then add ½ cup pasta water. Using a wooden spoon, stir the pasta, using the pasta as a whisk to emulsify the butter and pasta water into a sauce.

What is the best pasta for Cacio e Pepe? ›

1. Pick a curved pasta shape that'll grab hold of the sauce. Customarily, Cacio e Pepe is made with hand-made tonnarelli pasta, which is about double the thickness of classic spaghetti.

Should Cacio e Pepe be salty? ›

Authentic Cacio e Pepe DIRECTIONS

Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt – not too much, as the pecorino is quite salty.

What is a good substitute for Cacio e Pepe cheese? ›

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.

Why is my Cacio e Pepe sauce not combining? ›

Cacio e Pepe Troubleshooting: Emulsifying the sauce
  1. The Pecorino Romano is very finely grated. ...
  2. The pasta water and pasta can't be too hot when adding to the cheese. ...
  3. I'm using less water than I usually would so there is more starch to aid in emulsification.
Apr 11, 2022

Why does my Cacio e Pepe break? ›

The trick is to toss the cheese with starch before heating it. As the starch heats up and gels, it stabilizes the cheese so it won't break. I tried the method for this Cacio e Pepe, which makes for a durable sauce that doesn't break even after raising the temperature until the sauce boils (usually a mortal sin).

How do you make pasta not clump together? ›

Generously salt the pasta water

It can help keep the starches in your pasta from gelling together, reducing the risk of your pasta sticking. Aim to put a tablespoon or two of salt for every quart of water—which is about a quarter or half cup of salt for a pound of pasta.

How do you keep sauce from clumping? ›

Add Cornstarch or Flour

Add the flour or cornstarch directly, a little bit at a time, to the hot drippings and liquid.

References

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