My Cacio e Pepe recipe is the perfect pasta recipe in so many, many ways. Want a classic, rustic Italian dish? Check. Never made Italian pasta recipes before and want to ease in with something delicious yet simple? Check.
Want to pay homage to two of the most scrumptious food items to come out of Italy — noodles and cheese? Check check.
Whatever your reason for making cacio e pepe, or “cheese and pepper,” you’re in for a mouthwatering Italian getaway! Try more of my authentic Italian pasta and sauces.
You’ll love my Italian Sunday gravy, perfect marinara sauce, pasta alla norma, and my slow-cooked Ragu bolognese! All of these kinds of pasta are guaranteed to please.
Grab your cheese graters and pepper grinders — let’s make this!
What I Love About Cacio e Pepe Recipe
- Simple ingredients
- No muss, no fuss
- Minimal clean-up
- Picky eater paradise!
- True Italian roots
Cacio e Pepe Ingredient Notes
There are only five ingredients in my Cacio e Pepe recipe. And two of them are cheese! Sound like something you want to try yet?
- Cheese, please! Both parmesan and pecorino? They’re both Italian cheeses — can they really be that different? Yes! The major difference is that parmesan is made from cow’s milk while pecorino is from sheep. That and other differences bring two completely different flavors to this dish!
- Butter: While my recipe is much richer and fully rounded with true butter, don’t substitute margarine.
- Pepper: Pepper is one of the stars of this dish, after the cheese! But what kind of peppercorn is best? There’s been a wave of love for pink peppercorns lately, and while they do bring a different flavor profile to dishes, they aren’t actually peppercorns at all! Pink peppercorns are much more delicate than the hearty, flavorful black peppercorns, so I recommend sticking with the original for this dish.
- Pasta picks: I recommend using traditional spaghetti noodles for my recipe, but feel free to experiment with other types of pasta! But if you use thicker noodles, like fettuccine, you will have to alter the cooking time.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
For those nights when I make more spaghetti than any one family could ever finish off, I turn to a few tried and true storage methods to make sure I get the longest life possible out of my leftovers. Read on!
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? I highly recommend you invest in some good-quality airtight containers. I prefer glass, so I can reheat refrigerated portions right in the dish, but there are many good plastic ones too. Once you’ve portioned the leftovers, either individually or all in one, you can store my Cacio e Pepe recipe in the fridge for up to five days.
- Can You Freeze This? This dish is best served fresh.
- Make-Ahead Tips: My whole recipe takes no longer than forty minutes max to make — all because the dish comes together so quickly once you start! For that reason, there really isn’t a whole lot you can do ahead of time.
- I don’t recommend cooking your pasta ahead of time, as the longer your cooked pasta sits in your fridge without sauce, the stickier it will get. But I promise this dish is very time-friendly!
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
More Delicious Pasta + Sauce Recipes
- Pomodoro Sauce – restaurant-quality pasta sauce literally in the time it takes to turn on a pot of water for my pasta
- Chicken Fajita Pasta – absolutely loaded with flavor!
- Cannelloni – with an amazing shortcut!
- Stuffed Shells – this one also has a huge shortcut! Don’t miss out.
- Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta – rich decadent pasta, this creamy Rotel sausage pasta is absolutely amazing!
- Taco Pasta – a huge family favorite and kid pleaser!
- Meatless Baked Ziti – fast and easy, using jarred marinara sauce.
Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe is a classic Italian take on noodles and cheese with only five ingredients! Easy peasy weeknight dinner for the whole family!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and divided
- 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan
- 2/3 cup Pecorino
Garnish (optional)
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti (12 ounces) in well-salted water according to package instructions. Cook just to al dente. Before draining reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
- In a large heavy skillet, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in pepper (2 teaspoons), and cook, for about 45 seconds. Add spaghetti stirring to coat with pepper butter.
- Reduce heat and add Parmesan (1 1/2 cups) and Pecorino (2/3 cup), tossing the pasta with tongs to coat evenly until the cheese is melted.
- Gradually add 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water to the skillet, adding just enough so the pasta isn't soupy. Bring to a simmer, continuing to toss with tongs, so the pasta doesn't become a solid block. Toss in the remaining butter.
- Add more pasta water if the pasta seems dry, tossing constantly. The sauce will thicken and absorb as it continues to simmer and sit so add more pasta water accordingly. Transfer to the warm serving dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Cheese, please! Both parmesan and pecorino? They’re both Italian cheeses — can they really be that different? Yes! The major difference is that parmesan is made from cow’s milk while pecorino is from sheep. That and other differences bring two completely different flavors to this dish!
- Butter: While my recipe is much richer and fully rounded with true butter, don’t substitute margarine.
- Pepper: Pepper is one of the stars of this dish, after the cheese! But what kind of peppercorn is best? There’s been a wave of love for pink peppercorns lately, and while they do bring a different flavor profile to dishes, they aren’t actually peppercorns at all! Pink peppercorns are much more delicate than the hearty, flavorful black peppercorns, so I recommend sticking with the original for this dish.
- Pasta picks: I recommend using traditional spaghetti noodles for my recipe, but feel free to experiment with other types of pasta! But if you use thicker noodles, like fettuccine, you will have to alter the cooking time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 434mg
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I neglected to fully crush the peppercorns and the result was self evident and of course i had an old coffee grinder close by that i only remembered as i was picking whole
peppercorns out of the dish … next time no doubt I will remember so glad for this recipe though as i was watched it being prepared on several foodie network shows. Thank You Kathleen