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    Home > Blog > Quick & Easy > Cacio e Pepe Recipe

    Cacio e Pepe Recipe

    by Jenny Park · Published: Feb 12, 2021 · Modified: Dec 19, 2021

    Jump to Recipe
    We love this Cacio e Pepe Recipe because it requires only 4 ingredients! It's also really quick to make which makes this perfect for weeknight dinners. This dish is truly indulgent and packs a ton of flavor.
    Cacio e pepe recipe
    A close up of a swirled pile of cacio e pepe.

    I’ve been on such a simple pasta kick lately and this Cacio e Pepe Recipe is high on that list. I love everything about this pasta – the simplicity, minimal ingredient list, how delicious it is, and how fast it comes together!

    Table of Contents

    • What is Cacio e Pepe?
    • How to Make Our Cacio e Pepe Recipe
    • Ingredients to Note:
      • Process
      • Tools You Will Need
    • Cacio e Pepe Variations
    • Tips and Tricks for Cacio e Pepe Success
    • What to Serve with Our Cacio e Pepe Recipe
    • Reheating Leftovers
      • To Reheat Stovetop
      • To Reheat in a Microwave
    • Other Pasta Recipes You Will Love

    What is Cacio e Pepe?

    Cacio e Pepe (pronounced ca-cho ee pepe) is a Roman pasta dish that translates to “cheese and pepper”. The simple dish consists of spaghetti, black pepper and Pecorino Romano (and in our case a little butter too!)

    How to Make Our Cacio e Pepe Recipe

    Ingredients for cacio e pepe.

    Ingredients to Note:

    • Pecorino Romano: We love using a microplane to grate the cheese. It’s fine grate helps the cheese to melt into the dish really evenly. See our Cacio E Pepe Variations below for alternatives to this cheese.
    • Pasta: Bucatini is kind of like spaghetti, except it’s slightly thicker and is in the form of a tube.
    Block of cheese, cup of grated cheese, and a microplane.
    Close up of uncooked bucatini noodles.

    Process

    1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously season with salt.
    2. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
    3. Drain pasta, reserving some pasta water.
    Uncooked bucatini noodles in a pot of water on stovetop.
    Glass measuring cup with pasta water.
    Cooked bucatini noodles in a strainer.
    1. Place skillet (or same pot used to cook pasta) over medium heat and add pasta back into pot and add reserved pasta water and butter.
    Bucatini noodles in a skillet.
    Cooked bucatini noodles in a skillet with pads of butter.
    1. Toss together.
    2. Add grated cheese and black pepper and continue to toss together until sauce comes together and is smooth and creamy.
    A close up of cooked bucatini noodles.
    Bucatini in a skillet with parmesan.
    1. Top with more grated cheese and serve.
    A close up of finished cacio e pepe.

    Tools You Will Need

    • pot
    • colander
    • skillet
    • microplane or box grater
    • wooden spoon
    • tongs
    • liquid measuring cup

    Cacio e Pepe Variations

    • Pecorino Romano is a hard, Italian sheep’s milk cheese. It has sharp, rich nutty flavor, making it the perfect cheese for this simple pasta dish. If you don’t have it or can’t find it Parmigiano-Reggiano is a totally acceptable alternative.
    • Make this recipe gluten free by swapping out your favorite gluten free pasta.
    • Add a protein to the pasta like sautéed shrimp or grilled chicken.
    • Keep it vegetarian friendly, but bulk it up with some vegetables like steamed peas or steamed/sautéed broccoli.
    • Bring some heat to the dish with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
    • Add some texture to the dish by topping it off with some butter toasted breadcrumbs.

    Tips and Tricks for Cacio e Pepe Success

    This is such a simple recipe, we’re confident anyone can successfully make this dish! The one issue we see people running into when making this dish is the cheese clumping up when tossing it together with the pasta. The addition of warm pasta water is the answer! The starchy water helps to create a creamy, saucy consistency that perfectly coats the pasta.

    A close up of a bowl of cacio e pepe, twirled on a fork.

    What to Serve with Our Cacio e Pepe Recipe

    This cacio e pepe recipe is a simple but rich dish so we like to pair it with leafy greens tossed in a light dressing. We also like to serve this with some simple Roasted Root Vegetables, our Grilled Avocado Salad and our Balsamic Grilled Baby Carrots.

    Reheating Leftovers

    We rarely have any leftovers with this dish because we tend to inhale the entire thing in one sitting, but if you do happen to have leftovers, we have a couple of easy ways to reheat them to ensure it’s just as good as when you made it fresh! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    To Reheat Stovetop

    Place your leftover pasta in the skillet with a splash of water to help loosen things up. Cook on medium low – and just long enough to heat through. You don’t want to dry out the pasta. Top with more cheese if you have it and serve.

    To Reheat in a Microwave

    Place your leftover pasta in a microwave safe bowl. Splash a little water into the bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Take it out and give it a little stir. Don’t worry if it’s still a little watery, this will help steam the pasta back to life. Return to microwave and head for another minute or until fully cooked through. Make sure you don’t overheat this dish, or you will dry the pasta out!

    Bowl of Cacio e Pepe with a fork and spoon.

    This cacio e pepe recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner to throw together, especially if you’re in a pinch for time and ingredients. I love using this brand of pasta, but you can use any pasta of your choice.

    Other Pasta Recipes You Will Love

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      One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
    • A close up of a bowl of fusilli pasta with vodka sauce.
      The Best Vodka Sauce Recipe
    • A close up of zucchini lasagna roll ups with a serving spoon.
      Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
    • Bolognese sauce recipe in a bowl with pasta.
      Bolognese Sauce
    Click here for our Pasta & Noodles Recipe Collection
    Bowl of Cacio e Pepe with a fork and spoon.
    YouTube video

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    A close up of a swirled pile of cacio e pepe.

    Cacio e Pepe Recipe

    4.99 from 169 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    We love this Cacio e Pepe Recipe because it requires only 4 ingredients! It's also really quick to make which makes this perfect for weeknight dinners. This dish is truly indulgent and packs a ton of flavor.
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 15 mins
    Servings: 2

      INGREDIENTS  

    • 8 oz dried bucatini or spaghetti
    • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
    • ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano plus more for garnish
    • ½ tsp cracked black pepper

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
    • Add a small handful of salt and pasta to boiling water.
    • Cook pasta, stirring occasionally until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.
    • Drain pasta, reserving 2/3 cup pasta water.
    • Pour pasta back into pot or into a large skillet and place over low heat.
    • Add pasta water and butter and toss together until butter just melts.
    • Add grated cheese and black pepper and continue to toss together until cheese melts and a creamy sauce forms.
    • Top with more grated cheese and serve.
    Serving: 1g Calories: 621kcal Carbohydrates: 86g Protein: 23g Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 57mg Sodium: 308mg Potassium: 274mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 3g Vitamin A: 459IU Calcium: 290mg Iron: 2mg
    CUISINE: Italian
    KEYWORD: cacio e pepe, pasta,, quick and easy dinner, simple pasta
    COURSE: dinner
    DIET : Vegetarian

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    February 12, 2021 / 23 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

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    February 12, 2021 / 23 Comments

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    1. Robert

      January 12, 2023 at 12:03 pm

      Following the directions, my sauce fails to thicken and is watery. What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        January 12, 2023 at 2:28 pm

        Hi Robert! You want to make sure you’re tossing/stirring the pasta, butter and pasta water thoroughly together until the butter fully melts. This will help the sauce thicken and emulsify together before adding your cheese (which will further thicken your sauce). I hope this was helpful!

        Reply
    2. Jack

      December 28, 2022 at 7:02 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent!!! For those with cheese clumping issues, use fresh grated cheese from a block. Pre shredded cheese is always coated with anti-caking agents to keep it from sticking together. This holds true with cheese for making mac n cheese as well. Always grate your own cheese if it involves making a sauce with it ;)

      Reply
    3. T

      December 07, 2022 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      I actually add bacon pieces to this for a little more protein since I have to use non-dairy cheeses and it’s really good!

      Reply
    4. Dave

      October 31, 2022 at 4:22 pm

      3 stars
      Professional chef here: Bloom freshly cracked black pepper in your butter/oil before adding pasta water (warm) and pasta (warm) and remove from heat before adding cheese. The blooming of the black pepper will blow you away in terms of flavor (this is the old world method, after all) and removing from the heat and ensuring both water and pasta are warm should keep your sauce from clumping. Mangia!

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        October 31, 2022 at 8:13 pm

        Oh interesting. I know a lot of people toast the pepper on its own, but i love the idea of blooming it in butter or oil before adding the pasta water. Thanks for the tip!

        Reply
      • meems

        December 12, 2022 at 7:44 am

        i toasted my course black pepper in the pan first then added butter and the cheese. then tossed in the pasta . mmm!

        Reply
    5. Jesus

      October 20, 2022 at 7:14 am

      If making 4 servings, do you also double the amount of reserved pasta water from 2/3 cup to 1 1/3 cup?

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        October 20, 2022 at 7:46 pm

        Hi! I would reserve 1 1/3 cups, but start by adding about 3/4-1 cup pasta water and adjust as needed.

        Reply
    6. Tracey

      September 12, 2022 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      Simple and delicious comfort food. It’s like elevated buttered noodles.

      Reply
    7. Bee

      August 02, 2022 at 11:41 pm

      5 stars
      I diced up 3 chunky pieces of bacon, then added mushroom and a handful of steamed frozen peas. My husband loved it!

      Reply
    8. SHANA

      July 31, 2022 at 2:05 pm

      4 stars
      Very good and easy to make, but I would have added onions, mushrooms, and spinach. My dad thought it was the kittens mittens as is.

      Reply
    9. Sibby

      June 08, 2022 at 5:46 am

      5 stars
      Delish but the sauce splits for me every time. I only looked up how to prevent it next time i make it, apparently you beat the water into the cheese etc. Still tastes amazing!

      Reply
    10. Jo Anne

      July 29, 2021 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      Best recipe ever. I keep trying and trying recipes for this. And it just all glumps together. I added a tiny bit more pepper and grated parm. I will never use another recipe. Ty ty!

      Reply
    11. Elena

      March 27, 2021 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! The sauce was creamy, albeit for a few clumps of melted cheese, but delicious just the same. My 97 yr old mom who lives with loved it too!

      Reply
    12. Ashley S

      August 19, 2020 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious. Love this one

      Reply
    13. Mike

      August 11, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the simple yet tasty recipe. Will definitely make this again and again

      Reply
    14. Sarah

      August 11, 2020 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This is my favorite pasta, but I’ve never made it before. I never knew how simple it was to make! Delicious!

      Reply
    15. Laura

      August 09, 2020 at 7:22 am

      5 stars
      Easy and so so yummy. TY!

      Reply
    16. Maggie

      August 05, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      My favorite recipe to make! It’s soooo good and cheesy!

      Reply
    17. Leticia J

      June 22, 2020 at 10:53 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious!

      Reply
    18. Jordan

      May 14, 2020 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      I never knew cacio e Pepe was so easy to make. Loved this one!

      Reply
    19. Darren

      May 06, 2020 at 9:43 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Made this tonight and it’s delish. And so easy!

      Reply

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