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Bon Appétit

Corn Cacio e Pepe

3.5

(19)

Image may contain Food Macaroni Pasta Cutlery and Spoon
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li

Looking to switch things up from the mac and cheese that your child (or, um, partner) insists on? Same with Deb Perelman, who turned the iconic cacio e pepe into a foundation for a slight-more-sophisticated cheesy pasta. If your kids are heat-averse, start with 1 tsp. black pepper and add more to taste.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

16

oz. gemelli, orecchiette, or other medium pasta

Kosher salt

3

cups corn kernels (from 3 large ears)

8

oz. aged Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, finely grated (about 2 cups), plus more for serving

2

tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; add corn about 30 seconds before pasta is done cooking. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta and corn to the pot.

    Step 2

    While pasta is cooking, toss 8 oz. cheese and 2 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Add ⅓ cup cold water and use a fork to mash mixture into a thick paste (try to get it as smooth as possible). Still mashing, add more water a tablespoonful at a time until paste is about the consistency of cream cheese.

    Step 3

    Add cheese mixture to pot with pasta and corn. Using a rubber spatula, toss pasta until coated (the cheese mixture will be too thick to form a sauce at this point). Tossing constantly, add reserved pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time until a glossy sauce forms (it should still be fairly thick).

    Step 4

    Transfer pasta to a large bowl and top with more cheese and a few additional grinds of pepper.

Explore Bon AppétitPastaItalianEuropeanCornVegetableOrecchiettePasta & NoodlesPecorinoCheeseSummerQuickEasyOne-Pot MealsWeeknight Meals5 Ingredients or FewerMainNut-FreeVegetarianLunchDinner
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Reviews (19)

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  • To add some kick to the recipe, I added a finely chopped jalapeño pepper (red or green or both) or a pinch of cayenne. I also like a little chopped, fresh cilantro is an excellent addition. I'm a big believer in introducing kids to these things gradually, no matter how young they might be. Did that with my daughter from when she was very little, and she never balked at spicy food.

    • Stu

    • CT

    • 3/19/2021

  • I also wound up with clumpy cheese and came here for advice. Didn't find any so I returned the whole mixture (pasta, corn, cheese) back to medium-low heat and added more water to remelt the cheese mixture. Worked pretty well but I had to stir intensely for a minute or two. Flavors are still really really good!

    • jamesrnelson

    • 6/6/2020

  • I melted some butter in the pan over low heat, then added the cheese mixture. Stirred & added some pasta water, then stirred for a minute or so until it started to melt BEFORE putting pasta back into the pan. It worked perfectly - no clumps. I have made this twice. I would add extra cheese.

    • Anonymous

    • 4/8/2020

  • Unfortunately, this was a no-go for me. Like many reviewers, the cheese just ended up in a giant, unappetizing clump in the middle of the pot. I think I'm just going to leave cacio e pepe to the restaurants from now on.

    • Anonymous

    • Houston, TX

    • 10/15/2019

  • My husband and I loved it! We added chicken on top and it turned out great.

    • Anonymous

    • Houston TX

    • 9/28/2019

  • I saute the corn in butter with onions and garlic. I like a little hot sauce too. This way it was very good

    • Anonymous

    • San Antonio

    • 8/31/2019

  • Didn’t have the clumpy cheese problem but found it to be really bland. I get it’s for kids but I think buttered noodles might be more flavourful! Love BA and cook a lot of the recipes but this is not a winner

    • Anonymous

    • London

    • 8/13/2019