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Close-up of a bowl of spaghetti with pepper and cheese, a simple yet delicious dinner idea.

Foolproof Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

This recipe provides a simple and delicious way to make Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, a classic Italian pasta dish. It is perfect for busy weeknights and is designed to be easy for cooks of all levels.
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Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 807
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large 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 of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the minced garlic and black pepper in the hot oil until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Add the drained spaghetti and grated Pecorino Romano cheese to the skillet. Ladle in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir until the cheese is melted and forms a sauce, about 1 minute.
  5. Stir in more reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until the sauce coats the spaghetti. This should take about 1 minute more.

Nutrition

Calories: 807kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 32gFat: 36g

Notes

You can substitute butter for olive oil. Adjust the amount of cooking water added to achieve your desired sauce thickness. If the sauce becomes too thin, add a little more cheese. You can also add flavor-enhancing ingredients like pancetta for extra taste.

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