Cacio e pepe with black pepper and pecorino
Three ingredients and a lot of black pepper make a silky, glossy Roman sauce that clings to every strand.
- Time25 mins
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.33 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Bring a large pan of water to the boil with a little salt. Cook the spaghetti for 1 minute less than the packet says.
9 min - 2
Meanwhile, toast the pepper in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 1 minute until it smells warm and sharp. Add the oil and 100 ml of the pasta water.
1 min - 3
Keep the pasta water. Lift the spaghetti straight into the pepper pan with tongs.
- 4
Put the pecorino in a bowl and stir in 4 tablespoons of the hot pasta water to make a thick paste.
- 5
Take the pan off the heat. Add the paste to the pasta and toss hard for 1 minute, adding a splash of water until the sauce is glossy and creamy. Serve straight away with more pepper.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.