Pasta Cacio e Pepe
About this recipe
Pasta Cacio e Pepe is a classic Roman dish known for its simplicity and rich flavors. This version, shared by chef Luciano Monosilio, combines Pecorino Romano and Grana Padano cheeses with freshly cracked black pepper for a creamy, indulgent sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
What sets this recipe apart is a clever technique involving corn starch, which helps keep the sauce creamy and prevents it from breaking, ensuring a luscious texture that elevates this traditional dish.
Ingredient notes
- You can substitute Grana Padano with another mild cheese if needed, but it balances the saltiness of Pecorino Romano.
- The recipe uses Rigatoni pasta, but you could use another type of semolina dry pasta if desired.
Tips from Aden Films’s video
- Blend the hot water with olive oil before adding the cheese to create a smoother sauce.
- Mix corn starch with cold water before adding it to the hot mixture to ensure it activates properly and helps emulsify the sauce.
- Be sure to stir the pasta in the pan to keep the sauce creamy and prevent it from breaking.
Good to know
- How long does it take to cook the pasta?
- The Rigatoni pasta should be cooked for about 10 minutes.
- What is the purpose of adding corn starch?
- Corn starch helps keep the sauce creamy and prevents it from breaking by binding the water and cheese proteins together.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Aden Films: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Start by preparing the ingredients for Cacio e Pepe: Pecorino Romano cheese, Grana Padano cheese, and black peppercorns.
- 2
Grate 200g of Pecorino cheese and 100g of Grana Padano cheese into a bowl.
- 3
Add 4g of black peppercorns to the cheese mixture.
- 4
Boil water and measure out 200g of hot water.
- 5
Add approximately 50g of olive oil to the hot water and blend the mixture.
- 6
Mix 3g of corn starch with some cold water in a separate bowl and blend it into the hot water and olive oil mixture.
- 7
Cook 100g of Rigatoni pasta in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
- 8
Once the pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water and add the pasta to the pan with the cheese mixture.
- 9
Add half a spoon of reserved hot water to the pasta and cheese mixture.
- 10
Stir the pasta in the pan, ensuring the sauce remains creamy and does not break.
- 11
Stop the heat and let the pasta sit in the pan for a few minutes to allow the sauce to emulsify.
- 12
Plate the pasta and sauce, finishing with additional Pecorino cheese and black pepper on top.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- Cooking time for Rigatoni is inferred from the transcript.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Aden Films’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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