Cacio e Pepe is a simple Roman pasta dish that is easy to make and tastes absolutely heavenly. This cheesy peppery Italian pasta is a favorite for a reason.
We traveled to Rome to seek out the best recipe for Cacio e Pepe and have now brought it back to share with the masses. This recipe is as authentic as it comes, and is the perfect version of cacio e pepe to make at home. Don’t let its simplicity fool you, this pasta is absolutely delicious!
The translation of Cacio e Pepe literally means cheese and pepper. This pasta dish is incredibly simple, but packs a lot of rich flavor with pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground pepper. It has a very rich and strong flavor due to the Pecorino Romano sharp cheese as well as the heavy amount of pepper. Warning: some might find this dish spicy.
Cheese Options:
This is a classic Roman dish, so you should use a hard cheese from the Roma region of Italy for the most authentic flavor. Pecorino Romano is the traditional choice. If you do not have Pecorino Romano available to you, grated Parmesan is an acceptable substitute, though not an authentic choice as it comes from the Parma region of Italy.
Pasta Options:
The traditional choice of pasta for Cacio e Pepe is tonnarelli pasta, a thick round long pasta similar to a thick spaghetti or bucatini. Since these are both similar in shape, they both make acceptable substitutes where tonnarelli is not available.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over medium low heat until warmed through with a scant amount of water to keep it from sticking together.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other pasta recipes:
Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
Delicious as always, easy to make, and versatile if you want to add a side dish. (And it was 4-compliment review from husband who added, “This is my kind of thing!”) Thanks, Rachel!
Meh. If you need a quick side dish, I can see the value and time of making this. Might as well add sliced olives, sun-dried tomatoes, some garlic powder and a touch of EVOO, to taste, just to kick it up a notch.
The good news is that even though it was total fail for me and I ended up with several cheese balls instead of the sauce, it still tasted really good! LOL Not sure where I went wrong but I’m gonna try again lol
I think Rachel is a fabulous cook and explains everything so easy🌻
We loved this! Love simply assembled Italian food – so much flavor. I love black pepper but I would personally add a little less next time. I didn’t feel like I needed that much in the pasta for it to taste good Highly recommend for ease of prep, minimal prep time and abundance of flavor! Love your recipes.
Excellent recipe Rachel, with crystal clear instructions. I can always depend on your recipes. I also used a tip from chef Lidia Bastianich to warm the bowl first . She doesn’t explain how in her recipe, but I put my bowl in the oven while boiling water for the pasta. I heated the oven to 200 and then turned it off. I used spaghetti , but have used buccatini .
Loved it! So easy and quick to make. I added some diced plum tomatoes, but other than that kept to the recipe. I was worried the cheese wouldn’t melt properly but it did and was sooo delicious. Good for days when you’re too busy to cook.
Seems quick cooking with minimal fuss, looking ahead to try, though I have to make do with local ingredients ❤️👍
Rachel this is a recipe that can’t be beat! It is soooooo delicious!
Very easy to make. It turned out perfect. I loved that peppery cheesy flavor. Being from California I did finish it with some parsley and lemon. Delizioso!!