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Home » Recipes » Cacio e pepe

Cacio e pepe

August 28, 2020 by Alida Ryder 11 Comments

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Simple pasta with cheese and pepper makes cacio e pepe a comforting, classic Italian recipe that is perfect for an easy, quick, vegetarian weeknight dinner.

Cacio e Pepe

What is Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe literally means “Cheese and pepper” and as is the case with simple food, using the very best ingredients you can find is crucial. This is not the time for powdery-packet-Parmesan or Pecorino. Use the good stuff. I prefer to use a combination of freshly cracked white pepper and black pepper. I find the white pepper more delicate and floral but use whatever you have in the house.

Ingredients

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

  • Olive oil. 
  • Butter. 
  • Pepper. Use freshly ground white or black pepper.
  • Hard cheese. I have made this with Parmesan, Pecorino and Grana Padano and it is simply delicious using any three, or a mixture, of those.
  • Pasta. Use a long pasta shape like spaghetti, linguini or fettucini for this recipe. It’s crucial that you save the cooking water as that is an integral part of the sauce.
  • Salt.

Simple pasta with cheese and pepper.

How to make Cacio e Pepe

  1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta of your choice and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of water. You will likely not use both cups but rather save more than less. Drain the pasta.
  2. Make the “sauce”: Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pan (big enough to hold all the pasta). Add the pepper and toast for a minute. Add the cooked pasta with a good splash of the cooking water and the finely grated cheese. Quickly toss and turn the pasta in the buttery-cheesy liquid until the starch in the cooking water, the butter and the cheese form a light, creamy sauce which will coat the pasta beautifully. Adding more water will loosen the sauce and will create more creaminess. Just add the water slowly to create that creaminess and toss constantly over low heat.
  3. Serve: Tip the pasta into bowls and top with more cheese before tucking in. Simple perfection.

Cacio e pepe is the easiest pasta dish using only a handful of ingredients.

Easy pasta recipes

  1. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
  2. Fettucini Alfredo
  3. Pasta with basil cream sauce
Cacio e pepe

Cacio e pepe

Simple pasta with cheese and pepper makes cacio e pepe a comforting, classic Italian recipe that is perfect for an easy, quick, vegetarian weeknight dinner.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Cacio e pepe, Cacio e pepe pasta, Cacio e pepe recipe
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 539kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1lb) spaghetti/Linguini
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 teaspoons cracked pepper to taste
  • 1½ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving.

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
  • In the meantime, melt together the butter and olive oil over low heat and add the pepper. Allow the pepper to toast in the butter/oil until fragrant.
  • When the pasta is cooked, reserve 2 cups of water and drain. Toss the pasta into the pan with the butter and pepper and add the cheese and 1/2 cup of water. Toss and turn the pasta in the sauce until creamy, adding 1/2 cup of cooking water at a time to loosen the sauce and add more creaminess.
  • Transfer to bowls then top with more cheese and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Calcium: 470mg | Iron: 2mg
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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Lunch, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: cacio e pepe, comfort food, dinner, easy food, easy recipe, italian food, Italian recipe, Pasta, pasta recipe, pasta with cheese and pepper, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe

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Comments

  1. Jackie McDermott

    September 8, 2020 at 1:11 AM

    Oh my goodness made this last night as my toddlers we’re overtired and very cranky. Whipped this up in no time at all, simple and delicious (pardon the pun haha). Will be a regular in this household ?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      September 9, 2020 at 9:56 AM

      So happy to hear that Jackie!

      Reply
  2. Rewari

    August 29, 2020 at 6:36 AM

    Perfect recipe, I made this for dinner tonight with my partner.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      August 31, 2020 at 3:12 PM

      So happy to hear that 🙂

      Reply
  3. Vyonne

    April 7, 2016 at 8:24 AM

    Had it for tea last night, fabulous. Wouldn’t change a thing

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 15, 2016 at 4:54 PM

      So glad you liked it! It’s simple perfection isn’t it?

      Reply
  4. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    April 6, 2016 at 12:42 AM

    The very ingredients are the key!! We love making it — do you have spaghetti squash? I made it with spaghetti squash and it was great — veggie and taste all in one.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 6, 2016 at 8:38 AM

      That sounds delicious. I’ll try it with squash the next time!

      Reply
  5. Mila furman

    April 6, 2016 at 12:39 AM

    This looks so lovely!!! Gorgeous pictures! And I love the story..I too frequently want to just grab a bag of skinny pop and plop down on the couch and not even look at my kitchen 🙂 This looks perfect! Simple and delicious 🙂

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 6, 2016 at 8:42 AM

      Thanks Mila! I’m so glad you like the idea of this. It’s really the perfect quick meal for lazy nights.

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Alida, mom of twins and creator of Simply Delicious. I hope to encourage a love for cooking by creating fool-proof recipes that are easy and delicious. Read More…

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