Cacio e pepe, cheese and pepper is an institution of Rome.

It represents the popular soul of city that despite being majestic is also rich of hidden treasures.

Very popular throughout Italy, this dish is one of the most famous first courses, along with carbonara, gricia and amatriciana. It’s very simple: about the preparation you need also less ingredients than the others.

There are dozens of versions, openly revisited or original, which can be found in the city… but the real Cacio e pepe only in Rome can be tried.

Cacio e pepe: a bit of history

The history of this dish, symbol of Romanity, is born among the pastures during transhumance. During the long movements of the flock, the shepherds of the Roman agro filled the bag with calories and long-term food. There were a few slices of pecorino cheese, a bag of black peppercorns and a good quantity of dried spaghetti. These last three ingredients were chosen for a specific reason. The black pepper, in fact, directly stimulates the receptors of heat and helped the shepherds to protect themselves from the cold. The aged pecorino cheese is preserved for a long time and the pasta guaranteed the right amount of carbohydrates and calories.

From the countryside and pastures, in a few time it became a typical dish of Roman taverns and from here in the rest of Italy.  Already in the 18th century the pasta seasoned simply with cheese was widespread in most of the Italy. Goethe, in his Journey to Italy, described the cuisine of Naples, mentioning: “macaroni are cooked mostly simply in pure water and it is grated on top of the cheese, which is used for a time of fat and seasoning”.

According to the tradition, the hosts of that time were careful to serve a cheese and pepper “dry” in order to promote business. The dish, in fact, had to “intorzare” (force), as the Romans said, so that customers needed wine to swallow the pasta. So… more Cacio e pepe they ate, more wine they drank.

Over the centuries the original recipe has been perfected. There are several variations, from the type of pasta, ranging from classic spaghetti up to rigatoni, to the method of preparation. Every tavern in Rome and surroundings, however, will assure you that its dish is the “real Cacio e Pepe“.

Cacio e pepe: the secret

The secret of Cacio e pepe lies both in the ingredients and in the skill of the chef in preparing it. Essential for this typical dish of poor Roman cuisine is the creaming of the ingredients to obtain the notorious cream.

The right balance between cheese and cooking water is anything but simple. In order to form a cream, it’s necessary to add the right amount of cooking water alternating it with the pecorino cheese to obtain a good consistency.

Remember that the original recipe does not require the use of oil, butter, cream to make the cheese cream.

Cacio e pepe: recipe

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti

200 g grated pecorino cheese

10 g black pepper

Salt

Preparing time 15 min

Cooking time 10 min

Serves 4

Directions

Cook the spaghetti in salted water. In the meantime put the pecorino romano and black pepper into a small glass or aluminum bowl.

Raise the pasta al dente (don’t drain it otherwise loses all the cooking water!)

Calculate at least 2 minutes before the end of cooking and pour into the bowl with the mixture of pecorino. Season well, adding two ladles of cooking water to mix well.

It is also possible to mix pecorino and black pepper in a large pan where the spaghetti will be drained. However, remember that they should NOT be cooked or stirred on the fire. They should be mixed “cold” with the boiling water.

Stir and serve immediately.

Enjoy your Cacio e Pepe!