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Easy Trattoria-Style Cacio e Pepe Recipe with Tonnarelli Pasta Everyone Loves

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A simple yet perfectly balanced Italian pasta dish featuring tonnarelli pasta with a silky, clump-free Pecorino Romano and black pepper sauce, replicating the authentic trattoria texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz (340g) tonnarelli pasta (or thick spaghetti/bucatini as substitutes)
  • 1 ½ cups (about 150g) finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
  • Salt (for pasta water, use generously)
  • About 1 ½ cups (360ml) reserved pasta cooking water
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional: Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Boil the pasta water and salt generously (5 minutes). Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt—like the sea. Toss in the tonnarelli and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than package instructions.
  2. Toast the black pepper (2-3 minutes). While the pasta cooks, heat a large dry skillet over medium heat. Add the freshly cracked black pepper and toast it, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly darker—about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Reserve pasta water (1 minute). Before draining, ladle out about 1 ½ cups (360ml) of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta but do not rinse.
  4. Add pasta and some reserved water to the skillet (1 minute). Quickly transfer the drained tonnarelli to the skillet with the toasted pepper. Add about 1 cup (240ml) of reserved pasta water and toss to combine over medium-low heat. The water should start to reduce slightly.
  5. Gradually add Pecorino Romano cheese off the heat (3-4 minutes). Remove the skillet from heat. Sprinkle in the grated Pecorino Romano a little at a time, tossing or stirring vigorously with tongs or a wooden spoon to combine. If the sauce feels too thick or clumpy, add more reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until silky.
  6. Finish and adjust seasoning (1 minute). Taste and add more black pepper if desired. Optionally drizzle 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil for added silkiness.
  7. Serve immediately. Plate the cacio e pepe while warm and creamy. Garnish with extra Pecorino, fresh parsley, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes

Do not add cheese on direct heat to prevent clumping. Use reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce. Toast black pepper to enhance flavor. Work quickly after draining pasta to emulsify sauce. If sauce clumps, add more hot pasta water and whisk vigorously. Undercook pasta slightly as it finishes cooking in the sauce.

Nutrition

Keywords: cacio e pepe, tonnarelli pasta, Italian pasta recipe, Pecorino Romano, black pepper pasta, easy Italian dinner, authentic cacio e pepe

Find it online: https://novanosh.com/easy-trattoria-style-cacio-e-pepe-recipe-with-tonnarelli-pasta-everyone-loves/