Discover my chef’s perfected method for authentic Cacio e Pepe, a classic pasta recipe from Rome made with just three ingredients, that can be prepared in under 20 minutes. Video.
Cacio e Pepe ( pronounced kaa·chee·ow –ee-peh·peh) literally translates to “cheese and pepper.” It is one of the oldest Roman pasta recipes, telling a beautiful story of the shepherds of Lazio, who, when moving their flocks across long expanses under the stars, would carry with them foods that were light, non-perishable, and easy to cook: pasta, pecorino cheese, and black pepper. These three simple ingredients, when combined with hot water over a fire, would transform into a hearty, warming meal.
The first time I experienced cacio e pepe was in Rome, in my young 20s. I was truly blown away, and to this day, this is hands-down my favorite pasta dish. When I came home, I tried to recreate it, but in all the wrong ways, adding butter or parmesan, I felt so disappointed- it just wasn’t the same! Eventually, I returned to Rome and learned the classic way. And it truly is all about the simplicity of the ingredients and the easy Roman technique. Once you get it, you’ll never forget. Here is my easy Cacio e Pepe guide!
Why you’ll love our Cacio e Pepe Guide!
- It’s authentic. Made with just three simple, yet essential ingredeints for the best flavor and texture. I’ll also share some pro buying tips.
- Clump-Free Sauce. One of the most common challenges when making cachio e pepe is the sauce clumping. I’ll show you how to prevent this- with an easy tip I learned in Rome from an Italian chef.
- Super doable on a weeknight. We take out all the guesswork, and this pasta dish can be made in 20 minutes. Truly!
The three Ingredients in Cacio e Pepe
The three ingredeints are simple yet essential- read more for my best chef’s tips.
- Pasta – use a high-quality, long pasta such as spaghetti, linguini, or bucatini, preferably from Italy. I find “quality” here truly does matter. I’ve made this with American brands, and it’s just not quite the same, possibly because they are not made with semolina.
- Black Peppercorns- freshly cracked black peppercorns that are toasted are a must. Pepper was used in this dish not only for flavor, but also medicinally: it improves circulation in the body.
- Hard Aged Pecorino Cheese – Pecorino cheese is very different from Parmesan; it is made with sheep’s milk (as opposed to cow’s milk). Its flavor is more intense, and it contains more salt, which seasons the overall dish and also melts into a creamier sauce. If made with Parmesan, it simply won’t provide enough flavor. Tip: Always grate your own aged pecorino cheese from a block- either by hand or use a food processor (my favorite). I like Fulvi, Locatelli, Fortuna or any aged pecorino imported from Italy.
- Optional additions: Olive oil for drizzling, herbs for sprinkling, chili flakes for heat- all optional.
What does not belong in Authentic Cacio e Pepe?
Butter or Parmesan cheese! If you see a recipe that adds butter or parmesan, it may still taste fine, but it’s really not cacio e pepe. Trust me, I’ve made this dish repeatedly, testing numerous different versions, and in my professional opinion, the original version is hands-down the best because Parmesan doesn’t melt into the sauce quite like pecorino and lacks the punchy flavor.
How to make The Best Cacio e Pepe
STEP ONE: Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente, reserving the hot pasta water.
STEP TWO: Toast fresh-cracked pepper in a skillet for 1 minute. This will help the pepper release its fragrant oils.
Add 1/2 cup of pasta water, and bring to a gentle simmer, to create the “pepper water”. Simmer on low.
STEP THREE: Make a slurry. Place the pecorino cheese in a bowl.
Pour the hot pasta water into the cheese, mix to create a slurry. Set this aside until ready to use.
STEP FOUR: Add the al dente pasta to the skillet with the ” black pepper water,” and stir and cook until the pasta is cooked to perfection, adding more hot pasta water as needed.
The pasta will continue to release starch into the water, creating a creamy “sauce” even without the cheese!
STEP FIVE: Stir in the pecorino slurry and mix to combine, adding more pasta water as needed.
The pecorino cheese will melt into a creamy emulsified sauce. Add more pasta water to loosen it if you prefer.
Divide among bowls and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and chili flakes if you like.
Variations of Cacio e Pepe
Add veggies: Top Cacio e Pepe with your favorite seasonal veggie or your choice of protein. I love it topped with our Sauteed Mushrooms or our 15-Minute Broccoli. Tip: Blanch quick-cooking veggies right in the salted pasta water at the end of cooking (broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, English peas, edamame, fava beans!
Add protein: crispy chickpeas, baked lemon chicken, fish or salmon, or shrimp.
Here it’s topped with sauteed mushrooms, and in the spring, I always love adding fava beans- so tasty! Garnish with more cheese and pepper if you like!
Storing Cacio e Pepe
Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will get solid. To reheat, add the mixture to a pan on the stove over medium heat with a little hot water, stirring until it is loosened and warm. You can also microwave. This recipe will not freeze well as the sauce can separate.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Cacio e Pepe with a leafy green salad and garlic bread if you like!
More pasta recipes to try!
- Miso Pasta
- Lemon Pasta
- Easy Pesto Pasta with Fresh Basil
- Garlicky Chard Pasta
- Charred Asparagus Kale Pasta with Lemony Cannellini Beans
- Zesty Vegan Pasta with Cashew Alfredo Sauce
- Pasta with Broccolini, Preserved Lemon and Chickpeas
- 30 Vegetarian and Vegan Pasta Recipes!
- Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic & Lemon zest
Watch how to make Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: Vegetarian Main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple, delicious recipe for Cacio e Pepe is so tasty you will want to make it over and over. Serve it with your favorite veggie for an added burst of nutrition.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguini, spaghetti or bucatini (to make fresh pasta see notes below
- 1/2-1 teaspoon fresh ground black peppercorns, more to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano, more for serving
- Optional: garnish with olive oil, chili flakes or aleppo pepper, parsley or basil.
Instructions
- Cook Pasta in 8 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of salt- according to package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the hot pasta water.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Toast fresh crushed peppercorn, in the dry skillet for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup pasta water, simmer on low for a couple minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix pecorino cheese with 1/2 cup hot pasta water to create a slurry or paste. Set aside.
- Add the cooked pasta to the “pepper water” in the skillet, over medium-low heat, stirring. Add more pasta water so it gets it a little saucy if needed. Stir in the pecorino paste, adding more hot pasta water as needed to get a creamy consistency.
- Taste for salt and pepper, adjust to taste. Add more pasta water, cheese or pepper if you like. Feel free to fold in cooked veggies, or shrimp, etc (or serve these on top).
- To serve, divide, sprinkle each portion with more pecorino, chili flakes, parsley and hearty drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Pecorino: If using straight pecorino- keep in mind it is quite salty, so go lighter on the salt in the pasta water- 1 teaspoon salt per 8 cups of water. Pecorino is saltier than Parmesan, which adds nice depth here. Parmesan is tangier, less salty, so you may need to add.
TIP: Preshredded pecorino may contain caking agents which can prevent the sauce from getting super creamy- check the label! I like to shred my own in a food processor- up to you. 🙂
Mushrooms: to elevate, add sauteed mushrooms with a hint of truffle oil. Divine!
Broccoli: on busy nights I throw broccoli florets right into the pasta water at the end and cook for just a few minutes, adding both to the skillet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 349
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 895.1 mg
- Fat: 11.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.9 g
- Fiber: 4.3 g
- Protein: 11.5 g
- Cholesterol: 4.9 mg
This is my absolute all time favorite pasta dish, and this recipe is by far the easiest and most delicious! I make it often, and switch up the green veggie ( spinach, broccoli, green beans etc) for a really amazing dish. Thank you!
Thanks Winnie! So happy you are enjoying. 🙂
I make this once a week. Its the absolute BEST cacio y pepe recipe ever, and the easiest. You can add any veg . Thank you!!!
Love hearing this! Thanks for the review. 🙂
Aside from the version of this I ate in Italy, this was the best I’ve ever had! I used fresh grated pecorino and it still got a little bit clumpy despite whisking it, but it was still tasty.
Glad you enjoyed this Amanda!
The cheese just bunches up and gets stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Hummmm, did you whisk it with the pasta water first? Or add it directly?
Yummmmm! Finished it with loads of greens that wilted right in at the end. So quick and easy. The only problem was that I couldn’t stop eating it! (Also, I only had parmesan and it was still great.)
So happy you liked this! Love the addition of greens. 🙂
This quick recipe got rave reviews from even hard to please diners. I love that the recipes are consistently great on this website, but leave room for customization and tweaking to your personal taste preferences. Because the sauce is fairly simple, I think it is worthwhile to get a really good pasta. Luckily, I have a pasta shop nearby and their homemade truffle salt pasta really stole the show with this sauce. I used good parm, because that is what I had, added some alleppo pepper and olive oil (per the notes), a lump of garlic butter I had leftover, a dash of cream, squeeze of lemon, and broccoli (also per notes). This is a great weeknight fast dinner.
Great to hear Lynn!
I made this last night, using the written recipe which is quite different than the recipe listed above in the blog post, which seems a little more authentic compared to other recipes. It was okay, but next time I plan to try using the other method with the pepper water and pecorino paste. Just a heads up that you may want to adjust the written recipe portion to match!
Oh my goodness Alison- thanks for pointing this out! My updated recipe card did not save. Fixed it, and it is correct now. Really appreciate this! Yes using the “paste method” produces a creamier sauce!
I have just realised I forgot to rate this dish…..5 stars of course!
Thanks Janet!
Perfect! I made with gluten free pasta from Trader Joe’s and I made your sautéed mushrooms to top it off. Amazing!
Glad you enjoyed!
I have made this a few times….delicious! It is cold, wet and miserable here in the Netherlands…. but all your recipes are ‘Sunshine on a Plate’
Ahhhh… I love that! Thanks so much Janet. 🙂
Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian. What other cheese can be substituted?
You could try our Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle or buy vegan parmesan. 😉
We LOVE cacio e pepe and have tried numerous recipes before noticing your recipe here. Yours is delicious! The only addition I made wad adding two drops of black pepper essential oil to the olive oil since we like it super peppery. Question: I always run into clumps, no matter how many different techniques I have tried. Any thoughts?
Such a brilliant idea! love that! So when is it clumping? is it the pasta, or the cheese you think?
I believe it was when I added the pasta water. It also sticks to my mixing tongs.
Hummm, I’m not sure here. Have you ever tried using finely ground pecorino versus shaved or grated?
Finely grated. Thanks for your help! I won’t stop trying 😉
I have found a work around to my clumping but will definitely try the new paste method!
Oh great!
Simple and Delicious. I’ve always enjoyed the process of shelling and preparing favs beans.
Thanks Steven!
Delicious.
Hello, yeah this piece of writing is actually pleasant and I have learned
lot of things from it on the topic of blogging.
thanks.
Hi Sylvia,
I hope you are well?
Are fava beans broad beans can you tell me please?
All the best,
Karen
Hi Karen, Yes thanks, all is well! I’m pretty sure that they are the same – a different name for the same bean. 😉