Ramen Carbonara
Julia Moskin, "Breakfast: The Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day"
2630 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
2,630
25 minutes
Cacio e Pepe
Updated Nov. 13, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- Salt
- 1½cups finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for dusting completed dish
- 1cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more for finishing the dish
- ¾pound tonnarelli or other long pasta like linguine or spaghetti
- Good olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
678 calories; 26 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 1152 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and black pepper; mash with just enough cold water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly in the bowl.
- Step 2
Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. The second before it is perfectly cooked (taste it frequently once it begins to soften), reserve a cup or so of the cooking water, then use tongs to quickly transfer the pasta to the bowl. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be creamy but not watery.
- Step 3
Plate and dust each dish with additional pecorino and pepper. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
BQW
Just wanted to say that everyone arguing about authenticity of this recipe or any variation thereof is doing the most authentically Roman thing you can do.
Peter
Sorry guys but this is not the right way to make Cacio e Pepe. You transfer the pasta into a skillet, put some of the pasta water there and slowly add the cheese while flip mixing the pasta to create your sauce that sticks. You have to do this for a good 1-2 minutes.
Michael
Peter's right: transfer pasta to a skillet with some pasta water when it's still 1-2 minutes undercooked and gradually add the cheese (+ more water if needed). But the most important detail for absolutely delicious cacio e pepe - toast whole peppercorns in a small cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, shaking occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until aromatic or until they start to dance around in the skillet. Crush in a mortal and pestle and use instead of raw pepper. Amazing!
James A
Day 1: As is. Perfect!
Day 2: Feeling Frisky. Added preserved lemon and arugula. Mmmm.
Day 3. Tried + anchovy, toasted garlic and arugula. Plus a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Rocks.
Day 4: Thinking of an old standby, I filleted a few sardines, plus capers, preserved lemon and arugula. Oh, and a few bread crumbs toasted in olive oil + butter. How could it not be delicious?
Making a paste of the cheese and pepper with cold water is genius.
Tomorrow?? Thank you, Mr Bittman.
JF
I'm laughing about the HUGE emotional response attached to this dish. Italians use a general rule of thumb and improvise as they go. Which is what I do. I'm second generation, which is close enough. Cheese, pasta, something to keep it wet and blendable, lots of pepper. The rest makes this "your own". Relax, for the love of ...(whomever you want), and enjoy!
Hayford Peirce
I'm going to make it tonight for myself, using exactly 1/3 of all the listed ingredients. BUT, as Suellen wondered a while ago, WHY can't the cheeses be listed by weight instead of by CUPs? I asked this same question at much greater length in the Comments to the original article itself. An OUNCE of Parmesan can vary from 1/4 cup (Cuisinart) to 1 cup (Microplane) -- tonight I'll use an old hand grater and get about 1/2 cup....
Gina
My husband, Salvatore Corea, is the chef-owner of a restaurant in the East Village named after this Roman dish. Table-side, the homemade tonnarelli pasta is tossed right out of the wheel of cheese. It's both theatrical and delicious!
Loratora
If you are interested in an authentic cacio e Pepe, visit Tales of Ambrosia and check out How to Make Cacio e Pepe like a Roman. There are detailed instructions and helpful comments. For certain, there is no parmigiana, butter, olive oil or cream in the real recipe.
Chloe
I can't understand why the people who found it "gloopy" didn't just do the most logical thing, once you add the cheese to the pasta, put it back over the heat and stir it until the cheese is melted and the "sauce" is thick and creamy. Often the scheese clumps together and is all stringy in lumps throughout the pasta and stuck to the pan, just put it back over the heat, stir, and it's a perfect sauce. Don't understand how anyone didn't think to just melt the cheese over heat to make it combine.
Nick
I agree with peter. Transfer the pasta to a skillet and add cheese. Add cooking water if necessary and heat if the cheese remains clumpy. Double the volumes of cheese if using a microplane grater. Also, definitely use a microplane if you have one as the finer texture melts much more easily. If you don't have a microplane, consider buying one. They're fantastic as zesters, graters, and other tasks.
MaryEllen
my standby when there's no food in the house and I'm starving. There's always pasta, olive oil, pepper, Romano and garlic.
I do sauté minced garlic in oil and add it with the cheese and pepper.
Scott
WHY can't I print out all of these terrific comments with the recipe?!
Suzanne M
Works great, even with *gasp* Kraft Parmesan cheese!
Bnom
Try this with Szechuan peppercorns added to the black pepper -- an idea the comes from the kids at the Woks of Life blog. It's amazingly good.
KathY
Not that I am a Martha Stewart fan, but Google that magazine's recipe. Calls for grana padino cheese and gives reason why. Always comes out perfecto.
Webster
I have made a LOT of NYT recipes. This is by far the worst I’ve ever made. The “paste” turns into clumps and stays stuck to the bowl in equal measure. What a complete fail.
T in Boston
While as written, it is a great dish to make after coming home after a night of bar hopping with friends. But like another commenter, blasphemous as it may, I wanted to make a version with some freshness to be a quick meal after a long sober work day that I could pair with a glass of Sancerre. Added some sliced green onion (scallions), a finely diced celery stalk for some bright crunch, and some lemon juice. Stirring vigorously, no clumps and only silky sauce. Delightful and easy.
Brian
Wow. Too peppery! Also I disagree with the methodology of adding the pasta to a bowl with the cheese on the bottom. Adding cheese on top of pasta would have prevented cheese sticking to the bowl and clumping of cheese.
Brian
Too peppery! I recommend adding two-thirds the amount of pepper called for.
Angie
Simple and delicious. Olive oil unnecessary. Add a little more pasta water than you think it needs at the end. It firms up quickly. The toasted black peppercorns are a game changer. Don't skip that step!
LooseKnit
I'm making this tonight and adding a tbsp of red miso paste just to freak everyone out
GirlDad
I followed the recipe and it was amazing. Watch the video and use cold water to make the very thick paste. A quick vigorous stir brought it together relatively easily. Fresh ground pepper is also important. Enjoy!
DHolt104
Good recipe, first time making. Great flavor, I need to learn how to keep the cheese from minor clumping, but otherwise a wonderful compliment to a glass of red wine. Definitely a healthy Italian version of Mac and Cheese. Cheers!
DianeW
This recipe as written is flawed. I am an experienced cook and followed the recipe exactly. Even pre-warmed the bowl with boiling water. Worked quickly with hot pasta and boiling pasta water and still cheese globs. Returned to hot pan and booked & stirred more with some improvement but the globs never fully melted. Don’t waste your time with this technique.
DianeW
Followed these directions last night to a T. Even pre-warmed the bowl with boiling water, spread the cheese-pepper paste in the bottom and quickly added the not quite al dente & very hot pasta. Stirred like crazy with added hot pasta water. Noodles with Cheese globs resulted. So put it back in the hot pan on medium heat and cooked and stirred for 10 more minutes. Some but not all cheese globs melted and at this point the noodles were no longer al dente. This is a flawed recipe as written.
Melanie B.
The flavor of this dish was fantastic, but I had to follow a different process to get the sauce right. After adding the pasta to the bowl with the cheese mixture in it and stirring in some of the hot pasta water, I just ended up with clumps of cheese and pasta water filling up the bottom of the bowl. I transferred the whole mixture back into the pasta cooking pot over low heat and continued to mix it all together for about 2-3 minutes and that gave me the consistency I was looking for.
Mary Ann
As suggested by another person, put a little of the hot pasta water and about a teaspoon of olive oil into a stainless steel sauce pan. Turn on low heat. Add the cheese and wisk with a wire wisk until it is saucy. Add pepper. Use a pasta spoon to retrieve the pasta, letting the water drip off the pasta before you transfer the pasta to the sauce pan. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta. Don’t add more cheese at this point, as it will clump.
cookingschoolgrad
First time was amazing. Second time I got clumps of cheese. Hmmmm. You should specify the amount of water to add. First time I guess I got lucky. Also, first time I halved the recipe but second time I accidentally used a whole pound instead of 3/4. Maybe that was the mistake?
Ann
This didn’t work AT ALL, and I’m fully capable of following a recipe. I had blobs of glop. Disappointed.
Aks
Thought I would try this because I didn't want to use another pan.... no... it just tasted weak. Meh. I'll go back to using a skillet and some heat for a richer taste.
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