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The dish's story
A Testaccio institution whose cacio e pepe is tossed tableside in the hot pan until creamy — one of Rome's most cited addresses for the four-ingredient classic.
📋 MICHELIN Guide🍴 Traditional Roman recipe (Felice-style tableside finish) — Felice a Testaccio
📋 recipe source: Serious Eats — Roman Cacio e PepeIngredients
- • dried tonnarelli or spaghetti 400 g
- • Pecorino Romano, finely grated 200 g
- • whole black peppercorns 2 tbsp
- • fine sea salt for the pasta water
Method
- 1 Toast the peppercorns in a dry pan until fragrant, then crush coarsely with a mortar or the bottom of a pan.
- 2 Boil the pasta in well-salted water until just shy of al dente; reserve about 2 cups of the starchy cooking water before draining.
- 3 In a large cold pan, combine the grated Pecorino with a splash of pasta water to form a loose paste.
- 4 Add the drained pasta and a ladle of pasta water to the pan over low heat; toss vigorously off the heat, adding more water as needed until the cheese emulsifies into a glossy, creamy sauce that clings to every strand.
- 5 Finish with the cracked pepper and serve immediately — no cream, no butter.