Italian · main
Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe reads umami 7.1, salinity 6.9 and richness 4.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 8.1 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 1.4 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 2.3 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 7.1 · Salinity 6.9 · Richness 4.9 · Funk & Ferment 3.5 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Nutty 2.1 · Sweetness 1.4 · Heat 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Sourness 0.7 · Herbaceous 0.5
What's in it (6)
- 12 oz tonnarelli
- 3 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- salt to taste
Time & effort: about 15 min (12 min active) · effort: easy
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 88.8 kcal, 5.6 g protein, 6.3 g fat, 2.7 g carbs
Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (3 steps)
- Toast coarsely ground black pepper in a dry pan, then add a ladle of starchy pasta water to bloom the pepper.
- Toss al dente pasta in the pan, remove from heat, and rain over a mixture of finely grated Pecorino and Parmesan, stirring vigorously with pasta water until a glossy coating forms.
- Serve immediately with more pepper.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Cacio e Pepe with Crispy Prosciutto — Italian
- Cotoletta alla Petroniana — Italian · Emilia-Romagna
- Mapo Tofu (Mapo Doufu) — Chinese · Sichuan
- Baked Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumb Top — American
- Pasta alla Gricia — Italian · Rome
Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.