Cacio e Pepe with a Zesty Twist

Serves 2
Prep Time

15 mins
Total Time

25 mins
Difficulty Beginner
Recipe by Aishwarya Subramanian Pastry Chef, Product Head

Aishwarya Subramanian is a designer and pastry chef bringing her creations to life at The Recipe Lab.

Cacio e Pepe with a Zesty Twist

About This Dish

A Roman classic made effortlessly elegant. This 6-ingredient Cacio e Pepe is creamy, peppery, and comforting, with a bright hint of lemon zest to elevate every bite. Perfect for a cozy dinner for two.

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp salt
  • 150 gm spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly cracked Tura black pepper
  • ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
  • Lemon zest to garnish

This recipe features

Tura Black Pepper Tura Black Pepper

Tura Black Pepper

Spices

$10.00

Instructions

  1. In a heavy-bottomed pan, add enough water to boil the pasta along with salt. Cook until al dente. 

  2. In a separate shallow pan, toast the black peppercorns for a minute on low-medium flame. Pound into a coarse powder and set aside. 

  3. Add the olive oil to the pan along with the pounded black pepper and saute. 

  4. Add a ladle of the pasta water and stir together.

  5. Add the boiled spaghetti along with the grated cheese and stir together. 

  6. Add another ladle of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce. It should be creamy from the starch water and the cheese.

  7. Serve on a plate and finish with more crushed black pepper, olive oil, lemon zest and grated cheese.