Late-night cacio e pepe
Cacio e pepe, from Rome — a shepherd's dish of three ingredients. Nico cooks it as staff meal after service.
“We eat this at two in the morning when the pass is clean. The trick isn't the cheese, it's the water — it has to be starchy and it has to be off the boil before the pecorino goes near it.”
Nico Ferrante · 12 min active
When everything goes in
- Stage 1
Prep
3 minToast the peppercorns whole, then crack them coarse. Fine grinding kills it.
Inferred by Cue- Joins here
- Black peppercorns1½ tbsp
- Stage 2
Boil
7 minLess water than you'd think, so it goes properly starchy. Salt it lightly — the pecorino is salt enough.
Inferred by Cue- Joins here
- Tonnarelli or spaghetti200 g
- Salta light hand
- Stage 3
Emulsify
2 minOff the heat. Pecorino and pasta water into a paste first, pasta second.
Creator-verified- Joins here
- Pecorino Romano120 g, finely grated
- Reserved pasta water1 ladle
Everything you need
- Black peppercorns1½ tbsp
- Tonnarelli or spaghetti200 g
- Salta light hand
- Pecorino Romano120 g, finely grated
- Reserved pasta water1 ladle
Quantities are written for 2. Prepare to Cook scales them for however many you’re feeding.
How this page was put together
Facts on this page carry a label: creator-verified means Nico Ferrante stated it, inferred by Cue means I worked it out from the reel and haven’t had it confirmed. No scores here, and no nutrition tracking — that isn’t what this is for.
Book the room instead
Nico cooks this as staff meal at The Copper Hour after service — the recipe and the room are the same kitchen.
Reservations are simulated for now — I’ll tell you honestly when a table is really held.
Prepare to Cook scales the quantities, checks your pantry and hands you Cook Mode. Your list and your notes stay on this device.