Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe is an Italian pasta dish with creamy cheese and black pepper sauce. Here, we'll show you how to make modern cacio e pepe like the best restaurants in Rome, Italy, do it today.

For more creamy pasta recipes, try our spaghetti carbonara, garlic parmesan chicken pasta, and linguine with clam sauce.

Cacio e Pepe (modern version)

Cacio e pepe is one of the four famous Roman pasta dishes with amatriciana, carbonara, and gricia.

Its origins are rooted in the peasants and pastoral cuisine of the Lazio and Abruzzi regions.

Shepherds made it during the transhumance, the practice of moving livestock between summer and winter pastures.

Shepherds were away from home for months without much food or refrigeration.

They only had some hard sheep's cheese, flour, black pepper, and water.

And that's how this pasta dish was born.

Today, pasta cacio e pepe is a national emblem. Italians and tourists alike flock to Rome to try this flavor-packed comfort food.

The dish evolved through the years to meet current tastes.

Modern cacio e pepe, which we show you today, combines a perfectly creamy sauce with high-quality al dente pasta.

Prepare for a chewy-creamy-umami-peppery flavor-texture combination that will make you want to move to Italy.

This recipe is inspired by one of our favorite Roman chefs, Luciano Monosilio, from Luciano Cucina Italiana restaurant.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Pecorino Romano: pecorino is a hard and salty sheep's cheese. You can use any hard pecorino, although Pecorino Romano is more traditional. It's best to buy a piece and grate it at home.

Substitute Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano for pecorino.

Parmigiano: We recommend Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano. As for pecorino, it's best to get a piece of cheese and grate it at home.

Black pepper: best if whole pepper grains.

Cornstarch: Modern cacio e pepe uses a bit of cornstarch to help you make a creamy sauce.

Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is not part of the traditional recipe, but the modern recipe uses a few drops to help emulsify the sauce.

Pasta: Choose a pasta with a good bite, such as bucatini, rigatoni, or good-quality spaghetti. We are using thick and chewy homemade tonnarelli.

Cacio e pepe sauce

Dissolve the cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water and add it to a blender.

Add the grated pecorino, parmesan, whole black peppercorns, olive oil, and hot water.

Blend until smooth. Your sauce is ready! You can store it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 4 days or use it immediately.

Tip: The cornstarch helps us stabilize the cheese so that when you cook the sauce later, it won't curdle, and you'll get a perfectly creamy sauce.

Mix pasta and sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it boils, add a little salt and then the pasta.

Cook as per package instructions minus one minute.

In the meantime, heat the sauce on a large, non-stick, or stainless steel pan.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it thicken slightly for a minute. Stir with a silicone spatula.

Fish the pasta out of the water and add it to the pan.

Add ¼ cup of pasta cooking water and stir the pasta in the sauce continuously for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Tip: This step is essential to thickening the sauce and helping the pasta release starch, which will make this dish even creamier.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately on a plate topped with freshly cracked black pepper and a grating of pecorino romano.

It's best to eat this pasta dish right away. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours.

Reheat in a skillet with a dash of water. Not suitable for freezing.

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