How to make an authentic Cacio e Pepe sauce with just 3 ingredients! Served with Pici pasta, this recipe will give you all the tips you need to make a perfect, silky smooth, creamy and utterly cheesy sauce that you'll want to make again and again!
Cacio e Pepe translates as 'cheese and pepper', it's one of the four famous Roman pasta dishes alongside Gricia, Carbonara and Amatriciana. It's made with Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper and pasta water, so simple and insanely delicious.
In Rome, it's traditionally served with spaghetti or tonnarelli pasta but in Tuscany, it's served with Pici pasta (a traditional shape from Siena) and it's my absolute favourite way to serve it.
And although cacio e pepe is made with very few ingredients and takes very little time it can be easy to get wrong.
The cheese clumping is the most common problem people face so I highly recommend reading through our top tips section before starting. Following our tips will help you create the creamiest, cheesiest and most delicious pasta you'll ever eat. Buon Apetitio!
See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full ingredient amounts and printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below
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Ingredients - what you need
See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!
- Pecorino Romano DOP - it's so important that you use Pecorino Romano DOP otherwise the cheese may clump. It must say Pecorino Romano DOP and you'll likely have to go to an Italian deli to buy it. Don't use regular Pecorino that most supermarkets sell. Pecorino Romano DOP comes with a black or colourless rind with the name stamped in.
- Black Pepper - Make sure you freshly grind the pepper yourself so it's coarse and fresh tasting, don't use fine powder.
- Pasta - check out our tutorial for making homemade pici pasta. It's a super quick and easy eggless dough and is so perfect with this sauce. Otheriwse you can use a long dried pasta such as spaghetti.
Step by step photos and recipe instructions
Prep - Bring a pot of salted water to a boil (use less pasta water than you normally would so it's extra starchy). Finely grate the pecorino and add it to a small mixing bowl, set aside.
If using dried pasta start boiling it now making sure to undercook it by about 3 minutes.
Toast the pepper - Put the freshly ground pepper in a large dry pan on a medium heat, toast the pepper for a few seconds (photo 1).
Add water - After a few seconds add ½ cup (roughly 120ml) of pasta water, let it simmer as the pasta is cooking (photo 2).
Prepare the cheese - Add a few ladles of pasta water to the pecorino cheese just a little at a time until it has the consistency of loose creamy paste ( a little thicker than heavy cream, it won’t be super smooth) (photos 3 & 4).
If using fresh pasta start boiling it now.
Cooking the pasta - When the pasta is about 2-3 minutes away from being cooked, transfer it to the pan with the pepper using tongs and stir it for about 1 minute to release more starch. Add a little more pasta water if it has evaporated (photo 5).
Make the sauce - Next, turn the heat down low and add the pecorino mixture. Stir it continuously until a smooth and creamy cheese sauce is created. It will look like it has split at first but you have to keep stirring and it'll turn into a smooth and creamy sauce. Once you get to the saucy consistency turn the heat off and stir for one more minute so it thickens. (photos 6-8).
Top tips and recipe FAQs
- Don't fill your pasta pot with too much water! - fill your pot of water with less water than you normally would to cook pasta. This will ensure that the water is extra starchy and will help create a creamy sauce.
- Use tongs! - transfer the pasta from the water to the pan with tongs instead of draining the pasta. This will ensure you have just the right amount of water in the pan.
- Stir, stir, stir! - when the pasta is off of the heat and you add the cheese mixture keep stirring continuously until the creamy cheesy sauce is created (just a minute or 2). It'll go through a stage at the begining where it looks like it's going to split but don't worry just keep stirring and it comes together.
No, you must use Pecorino Romano DOP (very important). Don't use any other Pecorino of any kind or the cheese will very likely clump. Parmigiano Reggiano is also a no-no it'll completely change the flavour.
Yes, of course, you don't have to use Pici pasta. You can use spaghetti, bucatini or even a short pasta like rigatoni although I recommend using a long pasta shape for your first time making it (it's easier).
More traditional Italian pasta recipes to try
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara
- Bucatini all'Amatriciana
- Pasta alla Gricia
- Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
- Penne Pomodoro (Tomato Basil Pasta)
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📖 Recipe
Pici, Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 1 lb pici pasta or other long pasta (450g)
- 2.5 cups Pecorino Romano DOP (200g)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Important - there are slightly different instructions depending on if you are using fresh or dried pasta. Dried pasta must be cooked at step 3 and fresh pasta cooked at step 7. This is a very quick recipe, read all instructions before starting.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil (use less pasta water than you normally would so it's extra starchy). Finely grate the pecorino and add it to a small mixing bowl, set aside.
- If using dried pasta start boiling it now making sure to undercook it by 2-3 minutes.
- Put the freshly ground pepper in a large dry pan on a medium heat, toast the pepper for a few seconds.
- After a few seconds add ½ cup (roughly 120ml) of pasta water, let it simmer as the pasta is cooking.
- Add a few ladles of pasta water to the pecorino cheese just a little at a time until it has the consistency of loose creamy paste ( a little thicker than heavy cream, it won’t be super smooth).
- If using fresh pasta start boiling it now.
- When the pasta is about 2 minutes away from being cooked, transfer it to the pan with the pepper using tongs and stir it for about 1 minute to release more starch.
- Next, turn the heat down low and add the pecorino mixture. Stir it continuously until a smooth and creamy cheese sauce is created. It will look like it's going to split at first but keep stirring and it'll turn into a smooth and creamy sauce. Once you reach the saucy consistency turn the heat off and keep stirring for 1 more minute to let it thicken. Serve.
Notes
- Use tongs! - transfer the pasta from the water to the pan with tongs instead of draining the pasta. This will ensure you have just the right amount of water in the pan.
- Stir, stir, stir! - when the pasta is off of the heat and you add the cheese mixture keep stirring continuously until the creamy cheesy sauce is created (just a minute or 2). It'll go through a stage at the beginning where it looks like it's going to split but don't worry just keep stirring and it comes together.
- Storage & freezing - cacio e pepe is best served immediately, it won't reheat for freeze well.
Nutrition
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use this brand for the best results and flavour
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
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