The Science of Cacio e Pepe (and the BEST Recipe)

By Vincenzo's Plate · 20 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove.
2. Once boiling, add rock salt and let it dissolve.
3. Add the pasta and cook it 2-3 minutes less than the desired cooking time.
4. Set a frying pan over medium heat and add a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper. Let it lightly toast for a few minutes.
5. Grate at least 300 g of pecorino into a bowl.
6. When the pepper has toasted for a few minutes, ladle some pasta water into the pan so it bubbles up.
7. Add half a ladle of pasta water to the grated pecorino and mix with a fork or spatula into a thick paste. Do not add too much; if it becomes runny, add more grated pecorino to thicken it.
8. When the pasta has about 3 minutes left, lift it out with long tongs and add it to the pan. Mix well and add a cup of pasta water.
9. If the water dries up, add more water and more pepper and keep mixing.
10. After mixing for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and add the cheese paste to the pan.
11. Combine for at least another minute until all the cheese has dissolved into the water and no stringy or thick pieces remain. Toss the pan gently to help the cheese coat the strands.

Summarized from Vincenzo's Plate's video. Watch it for the details.

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