About this recipe

A Roman classic stripped down to just three ingredients: pasta, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The magic is in the technique — starchy pasta water and finely grated cheese emulsify into a silky, clinging sauce with no cream required. Ready in under 30 minutes and endlessly satisfying.

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt — use about half what you'd normally use, since the starchy water will concentrate as you cook and you don't want an overly salty sauce. Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. While the pasta cooks, scoop out at least 2 cups of the starchy pasta water and set aside.

2. 2

   While the pasta boils, toast the coarsely cracked black pepper in a large, dry skillet over ^[medium heat] for about 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and swirl to combine. Pour in about ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water and let it simmer gently for 1–2 minutes to infuse the pepper flavor into the liquid. Reduce the heat to ^[medium-low].

3. 3

   Use tongs to transfer the just-under-al-dente pasta directly from the pot into the skillet (a little extra water clinging to the noodles is fine). Toss the spaghetti in the pepper-water mixture over ^[medium-low] heat, adding splashes of pasta water as needed to keep things loose, and finish cooking the pasta for 1–2 more minutes until al dente.

4. 4

   Remove the skillet from the heat entirely — this is critical to prevent the cheese from clumping. Let it cool for 30 seconds. Add the finely grated pecorino Romano and parmigiano-reggiano in two or three additions, tossing vigorously with tongs and adding small splashes of pasta water between each addition. The goal is a glossy, creamy sauce that coats every strand. If the sauce looks too thick, add a little more pasta water; if too thin, toss a bit longer off the heat.

5. 5

   Divide the pasta among warm bowls immediately. Finish each bowl with an extra crack of black pepper and a pinch of additional pecorino Romano if desired. Serve right away — cacio e pepe waits for no one.