Cacio e Pepe
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Cacio e pepe is a deceptively simple dish packed with flavor. Featuring pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper, this version uses a foolproof technique to ensure a creamy, clump-free sauce every time!
One of the simplest and most beloved pasta dishes from Rome, cacio e pepe literally translates to “cheese and pepper.” Pronounced kaa-chee-ow-ee-peh-pay, the traditional dish calls for just three ingredients: coarsely ground black pepper, finely grated Pecorino Romano, and pasta. Some modern versions, like this one, add a little olive oil, butter, or cream for extra richness. The magic happens when starchy pasta water is mixed in, creating a rich, creamy sauce that clings to the pasta—think of it as Italy’s version of mac and cheese, but with a bold, peppery kick. Perfect for two, this cacio e pepe recipe is a quick, no-fuss meal, but can easily be doubled if needed!
“Made this last night and it was great. I’ve tried other recipes for cacio e pepe and the sauce clumped up and didn’t work. Your method worked beautifully!”
The Method
Traditionally, making cacio e pepe involves gradually adding cheese and pasta water to the cooked noodles while stirring vigorously to create that creamy, emulsified sauce. But the reality is that often clumps and sticks to the pan no matter how careful you are. To avoid that frustration, I borrow a trick from Italian chef Luciano Monosilio: blend the pasta water and cheese together before adding it to the pasta. This way, you still need to keep an eye on the heat, but it’s much easier to get that smooth, velvety sauce without worrying about clumping.
What You’ll Need To Make Cacio e Pepe
- Pasta: The recipe calls for bucatini, spaghetti, or tonnarelli. Bucatini (also known as perciatelli) resembles spaghetti but is thicker and has a small hole running through the center—hence the name “buco,” which means “hole” in Italian. Tonnarelli, on the other hand, is a long, thick pasta with square edges, traditionally used in Roman cuisine and ideal for soaking up rich sauces. Spaghetti is a great alternative if you can’t find the other two.
- Pecorino Romano: A sharp, salty sheep’s milk cheese that provides bold flavor. It’s the best choice for this dish, as it adds more intensity than Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano. While the two cheeses are sometimes interchangeable in recipes, I recommend sticking with the Pecorino cheese here, as it has a bolder flavor. Pre-grated cheese is perfectly fine to use in this recipe—that’s what I use!
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Adds a distinctive peppery kick. Use coarsely ground pepper for the best texture and flavor. I’ve given a range depending on how peppery you like your pasta; add to taste.
- Butter: While not a traditional ingredient in cacio e pepe, the butter is used to “bloom” the fresh ground pepper before mixing it in with the pasta. It also makes for a creamier sauce without diluting the other flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a Dutch oven or large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
Set the same pot over low heat and melt the butter. Add the pepper.
Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss to coat evenly. Remove the pot from the heat.
In a blender, combine the cheese and ⅔ cup of the hot pasta water.
Blend until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds.
Add the sauce to the pasta in the pot and toss with tongs.
Place the pot back over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with the tongs, until the sauce is the consistency of a thin cream sauce, a few minutes. Add more of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce only if necessary. Be careful at this stage: if the sauce gets too hot, it will start to clump up and stick to the pot and tongs.
Once the sauce is the right consistency, immediately transfer the pasta to bowls and serve. Pass more cheese and pepper at the table, if desired.
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Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe is a deceptively simple dish packed with flavor. Featuring pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper, this version uses a foolproof technique to ensure a creamy, clump-free sauce every time!
Ingredients
- Salt
- 8 oz bucatini, spaghetti, or tonnarelli
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ - 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, depending on how peppery you like your pasta
- 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
- Set the same pot over low heat and melt the butter. Add the pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss to coat evenly. Remove the pot from the heat.
- In a blender, combine the cheese and ⅔ cup of the pasta cooking water. Blend until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds. Add the sauce to the pasta in the pot and toss with tongs. Place the pot back over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with the tongs, until the sauce is the consistency of a thin cream sauce, a few minutes. Add more of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce only if necessary. Be careful at this stage: if the sauce gets too hot, it will start to clump up and stick to the pot and tongs. Once the sauce is the right consistency, immediately transfer the pasta to bowls and serve. Pass more cheese and pepper at the table, if desired.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (2 servings)
- Calories: 785
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 89 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 36 g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have tried two previous times to make Cacio e Pepe, both times with the same result. I found your blog, and read your recipe, and tried one more time. Eureka! I have always struggled with this sauce, but using the blender is genius. Thanks for the recipe and chef secret!
Jenn – I love you dearly and appreciate all your recipes (and testing) but this failed for me. After making this for years with a different recipe decided to make yours. The cheese congealed while stirring the pasta. I followed it exactly, microplaned good Pecorino, blah blah. It was still edible but not its usual loveliness. Any ideas?
Your friend and follower.
Amy
Hi Amy, thanks for your sweet words about the recipes – so sorry this one was a flop for you! This recipe is the most foolproof method I know for preventing the cheese from congealing, so it’s a bit of a head scratcher for me. The only thing I can think of is that the cheese sauce may have gotten too hot. If you’ve used another recipe and have had success with it, as much as I hate to point you away from the blog, you may want to stick with that one. xo
Hi Jenn
Question: Taking this dish to cooking club potluck. How do I reheat it.
Can I add parsley. What about heavy cream.
Thanks, Rose
Hi Rose, this is honestly not the best dish to take to a potluck, as it’s definitely best if eaten right after it’s prepared. That said, I’d microwave it briefly; just enough to reheat it. You could add a touch of cream, but not sure it will give you that saucy consistency again. Another option that’s somewhat similar and would do much better at a potluck is my mac & cheese.
Thanks Jenn, good advice
Rose
I’ve never made this dish because there were so many conflicting arguments about what is “correct”, always ending with people complaining that the cheese broke or got gloopy.
Jen to the rescue!
The blending (I used a food processor) made the cheese melt effortlessly. No clumping, and it stirred beautifully into the spaghetti.
Perfection!
I loved the result but was wondering if there’s a different way to incorporate the cheese and pasta water without having to use a blender. I used an immersion blender but the cheese did not mix in smoothly. I will have to keep experimenting! 🙂
Hi Lulu, you really need a blender for this. If you have a food processor, that would work too.
Why did it end up watery? How long should I be mixing the cheese sauce with the noodles?
Hi Carolina, sorry to hear the sauce ended up watery. You should be tossing the pasta with the sauce until it gets to the consistency of a thin cream sauce, which usually takes 2 to 3 minutes. Did you add any additional pasta water to the sauce? If so, it could be that you added too much.
Delicious
Why haven’t I made this before?! This was super easy and so good! I served it with your lemon arugula salad – delicious!
Would I need to adjust anything in the recipe (beside the ingredients) if I want to double this recipe? There are three of us, but our 7 year old eats like an adult.
Thank you!
No, you wouldn’t need to do anything other than doubling the ingredients. Hope everyone enjoys!
Delicious! Easy. I added shrimp at the end and it was even better. Family thought it abit too peppery but still gobbled it down. Next time will use 1/2 the pepper and they can add if wanted at the table. A keeper!