Go Back
–+ servings
A close-up of a bowl of Cacio e Pepe, a simple pasta dish with cheese and black pepper, perfect for dinner ideas.

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

A simple and quick pasta dish with cheese and pepper.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 3/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Skillet

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
  2. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain spaghetti.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic and pepper in hot oil until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Add cooked spaghetti and Pecorino Romano cheese. Ladle in 1/2 cup reserved cooking water; stir until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.
  5. Stir in more cooking water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce coats spaghetti, about 1 minute more.

Notes

Adjust the amount of cooking water added for a thicker or thinner sauce. If you add too much water, add some more cheese. You can add flavor-enhancing ingredients like pancetta, depending on your main dish.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!