Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe is famously easy to describe and easy to ruin. Pecorino thrown into a hot pan seizes into rubbery strings. Made into a paste with warm pasta water first, it melts into a sauce. That paste is the entire recipe.

1. 1

   Boil the pasta in less water than usual and salt it lightly. You want the water starchy and the pecorino is already salty.

   For this step

   • 1½ cups (120 g) pecorino romano
2. 2

   Toast the cracked pepper in a dry pan for 40 seconds until it smells sharp and floral, then take it off the heat.

3. 3

   Grate the pecorino into a bowl and add pasta water a spoonful at a time, stirring, until you have a smooth paste like thick cream.

   For this step

   • 1½ cups (120 g) pecorino romano
4. 4

   Drain the pasta two minutes early, keeping plenty of water, and toss it in the pepper pan off the heat with a splash of water.

5. 5

   Add the cheese paste and stir vigorously, adding water in small amounts, until it turns into a glossy sauce that coats every strand.

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