Why traditional Cacio e Pepe is so hard to perfectly execute

What is the best way to make Cacio e Pepe at home? Today, we answer that question by doing a deep dive into the food science behind two different methods.

📚 Videos & Sources mentioned

USEFUL KITCHEN GEAR

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:07 Method 1: Traditional
3:29 Why is traditional Cacio e Pepe so much harder to execute?
10:33 Method 2: Restaurant Style
13:10 Benefits
14:44 How does cornstarch work?

MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Epidemic Sound
Filmed on: Sony a6600 & Sony A7C
Voice recorded on Shure MV7
Edited in: Premiere Pro

Affiliate Disclosure:

[GraemeTheCracker]

I want to say that I reaaallly appreciate the lack of an intro and no unnecessary filler. Every minute of the video is utilized perfectly.

[sbombshell]

I have celiac disease and can’t use pasta water the same as everyone else because obviously my pasta is different. I also love cacio e pepe, so I need to find another way to achieve the sauce. Thank you for breaking down the science so I can make this dish reasonably close to authentic without having to add too many ingredients! I’m really grateful!

For any super sensitive celiacs out there: some corn starch brands and xanthan gum aren’t safe. Be careful which you choose (Gluten Free Society’s website has a handy breakdown on this) or choose a gf safe alternative like tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.

[Enhancedlies]

and ALL it took, was for Ethan to properly and clearly explain the food science to make it so obvious WHY the problems occur. That means we actually understand and can therefore apply this tto our own cooing... Great video as usual!

[nathalierebolledo]

As someone who almost exclusively consumes food content (since the age of 5 lol)… this episode is probably the single best cooking video I’ve ever watched, ever. This format is everything. You lay out your extensive research SO well and answered every question I didn’t even know I had about cheesy pastas. (Temping the plated pasta? Cmon. So true. Amazing.) Thank you for always keeping it so real. I rly can’t recommend your videos enough- consistently so glad and grateful that I found your channel!!

[dantepalazzo]

I thought Ethan couldn’t add anything new after watching Alex, Kenji, Babish and even Luciano himself explaining this technique; but he darn did. Nice work and thanks for sharing with us.

[edgaralejandro]

This guy's videos are perfect! No corny puns, needless jokes, or feels necessary to include 2-second "bloopers" that often clutter other cooking channels. You strike a perfect balance, providing just the right amount of information to keep things engaging and straight to the point. Keep up the exceptional work, Ethan!

[russelnw]

Yay. You solve my problem. Another brilliant YouTuber showed “the real” way to make Cacio E Pepe, but I was left dumbstruck when things clumped. While I suspected “heat” was the issue, I was left guessing how to control for it. It is nerve wracking to make at home when it Can fall apart so easily. An Italian restaurant is two blocks from my house - we can get it there, cooked right every time. The mystery is solved and I don’t have to shell out $$$ now to get a perfectly done Cacio e Pepe. I can do it confidently at home now.

[txikitofandango]

I just want to echo that point at the end: boiling the pasta in as little water as possible, making the pasta water as starchy as possible, helps enlarge the safe zone without added starch, in my experience anyway. And here you don't compromise on flavor

[viridium]

This video has literally solved all of my problems I've had in the past with cacio e pepe, THANK YOU Ethan! It'd be sick if you did a series, or just videos in general, of troubleshooting common cooking techniques or meals that people might have problems with, it'd be really interesting!

[bl]

As an amateur home cook who has nailed a few, but mostly failed numerous attempts, at cacio e pepe… the idea that consistency and flavor could be made and kept relatively shelf stable to avoid so many pitfalls with the dish and more easily scale it up for more people is CRAZY. You can’t deny that making it the “proper way” is a testament to the skill of the cook but you also can’t deny that second method is a beautiful thing for making such a wonderful dish more accessible. I will definitely be using this in the future. Thank you ❤

[jazzy_taste]

This is the explanation I was waiting for! I've had many issues with this recipe, no matter how simple it seems to be. A very big thank you!

[Wldgeist]

If you cook the pasta with really, really low amount of water you end up with such a starchy water, that it has a similar effect to the cornstarch solution. It's also way more stable and beginner friendly, reducing the margin for error. Also the pasta cooks faster :D

[robertebob]

Thanks. I’ve been wanting to make this for myself. I’ve seen many videos on the subject. Yours is the best and easiest to understand. I really appreciate the food science.

[safrprojects]

If you want the plated food to stay hot for longer you have to reduce heat transfer, and that means *_pre-warming your dishware_* and *_reducing surface area_*

That means balling up your pasta into hot bowls instead of spreading it out onto cold plates.

I have also always sworn by fresh-made pasta, so the pasta water from that already has a lot of starch in it.

[NarutoFreak]

I'm happy to see that the move across the water hasn't really hindered the end result of your content! I'd probably still watch it even if it did, honestly, but it says a lot about your ability to adapt while also being picky about the places you stay at. Way to go, champ.

[luismelo]

I think this is the 10th video i've seen in days about cacio and pepe, by far the best. Exactly the type of info i was looking for. Did 3 times already in 2 days and all 3 times the cheese came together like the picture on the right. Got my confidence back hahah Video 10/10

[NotaCerealKiller]

I've been making Cacio e Pepe my whole life and I've been watching you for quite a long time as well. Not only is this a great food science video, and a great technique, but it is also one of your best video period. Great pacing, editing, clarity. Just an excellent job across the board.

[renzoramondino]

Hello from Roma!
I really appreciate your work and I'm glad you like our dish.
I'm used to the traditional method, which I execute without heating the pan after putting the sauce; if I need more heat, I place the pan over the pot for a few seconds.
A general tip for the pasta (any pasta): the correct order is boil the water - add salt - add pasta - count minutes; if you add the pasta at the beginning, it's going to be too soft.

[MandM]

In my opinion this is your best video yet. I went to school for materials science and that background has given me a whole new appreciation for cooking. Your breakdown of the food science here is absolutely fascinating, and it's going to help me get a lot more consistent with this dish, so thank you!

[killerguppy]

Fantastic. I've tried making this dish the traditional way before with about 50% success. I knew about emulsion, so I started sprinkling corn starch in which brought me to about 75%+ success rate. But I really like the idea of pre-mixing the sauce. I agree that you could use this on sooo many delicious things.