Cacio e Pepe
If you've got spaghetti or tonnarelli and pecorino romano, you're most of the way to this Italian vegan: about 50 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and saucepan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Bring a moderate amount of water to the boil and salt it lightly, since the starchy cooking water is essential and the pecorino is already very salty.
- Toast the cracked peppercorns in a wide dry pan over medium heat for about a minute until fragrant, then add a ladle of pasta water and let it bubble.
- Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente, reserving a couple of mugs of the starchy water before draining.
- Finely grate the pecorino and, in a separate bowl, whisk it with a little warm (not boiling) pasta water into a smooth, lump-free cream.
- Transfer the drained pasta into the peppery pan with a splash more water and toss vigorously over low heat for a minute to coat.
- Take the pan off the heat, pour in the pecorino cream, and toss continuously, loosening with extra water as needed, until a glossy clinging sauce forms; serve immediately with more pepper.
You'll use: Pan Β· Saucepan Β· Whisk
What to serve with Cacio e Pepe
- Spaghetti Bolognese Beef
- Spicy Arrabiata Penne Vegetarian
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Seafood
- Potato Gratin with Chicken Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Cacio e Pepe take to make?
About 50 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 6 steps and 4 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Cacio e Pepe vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Cacio e Pepe is an original Italian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Spaghetti cacio e pepe.jpg by DC, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.