Cacio e Pepe is one of the most representative dishes of Italian food, along with Carbonara and Lasagne. What they all have in common is that they only need 3 ingredients. Yes, only 3. But the most important thing that they have in common is that you need to do them just right. Follow the instructions and use the right ingredients, otherwise you end up with a completely different dish or a hot mess.
What is Pecorino cheese
The name literally means cheese and pepper, which already indicates that there's nothing more you need. Cacio e Pepe is a traditional dish from Lazio region, specifically the beautiful ancient city of Rome. For this reason, the main ingredient is Pecorino Romano. A sheep milk cheese made in this same region for centuries (but thankfully available worldwide nowadays). Pecorino is a salty cheese and it's very hard and crumbly so it's perfect to grate on top of pasta dishes.
I like to use only Pecorino cheese but if you prefer you can use ⅔ Pecorino cheese and ⅓ Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
What is Pici Pasta
Pici are a traditional pasta from Tuscany, where I was born and raised. They are thick like Udon noodles but made with semolina, flour and water just like other pasta shapes. If you double the recipe, making it for 4 people, I suggest adding 1 egg yolk to the pasta dough, to make it stretchier.
Pici Cacio e Pepe is very common in Tuscany and it's one of my favorite dishes. Pici pasta are so thick and rustic and coated with the delicious creamy cheese are just heavenly. Another great traditional Tuscan recipe with Pici pasta is Pici all'Aglione, a spicy garlic tomato sauce.
The traditional Roman recipe, however, is with Tonnarelli pasta. Tonnarelli have a thickness halfway between Pici and Spaghetti. Although, the most common practice around Italy is to make Cacio e Pepe simply with Spaghetti pasta, but the thicker the better!
Check out also this extensive guide with step-by-step videos on how to make 10 different shapes of fresh pasta without a pasta machine.
How to make authentic Cacio e Pepe
This dish is apparently very easy to make. The only ingredients are cheese, black pepper, and pasta, what can go wrong? Actually many things can go wrong.
One of the biggest mistakes people do (and with people I include myself as well) is to keep the pan on the heat after you added the cheese to the pasta. If you cook the cheese, it will separate so you'll end up with watery pasta and a thick cheese paste glued to the pan.
Another consideration to make is about salt. Pecorino cheese is quite salty so make sure you taste it and regulate the saltness of the pasta water accordingly. Or regulate the cheese intensity by mixing in Parmigiano cheese which is less salty.
To make the perfect Cacio e Pepe you simply have to mix the cheese and pepper in a bowl, and slowly add the pasta water while mixing energetically until you get a cream. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it directly to the bowl with the cheese, away from the heat. Mix well and serve.
The Recipe
If you like this recipe, try also these other cheesy pastas:
Pici Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 3 oz All Purpose Flour
- 3 oz Semolina Flour
- Water
- Salt
- ⅓ cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
- Black Pepper, ground
- Pink Peppercorns, optional
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Mix the two flours in a large bowl and drizzle a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Slowly add some water and start mixing with your hands, adding more water a little bit at a time until the dough starts coming together. After a few minutes of kneading, you should have a round soft ball, which is not crumbly nor sticky.
- Cover the dough ball in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
- To make the Pici, roll the pasta dough and cut it into strips, then roll them with both your hands on the cutting board to get the thick pasta strings. Try to keep the same thickness on the whole lenght, to cook it uniformly.
- In a large bowl, grate the Pecorino cheese and add the ground black pepper to taste (it should be quite a lot but not too much) and set aside.
- Toss the Pici in a large pot of boiling salted water.
- Slowly add half ladle of pasta water to the cheese while whisking energetically and add more water gradually if necessary until you get a smooth cream.
- After 3-4 minutes, drain the pasta and add it to the bowl of cheese sauce. Mix well and serve immediately with freshly grated cheese and crushed pink peppercorns if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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I’ve never made my own pasta but you make it look so easy and delicious – I have to try it!
This definitely looks like the pasta of my dreams! It looks seriously rich, decadent and delicious. All that cheese is calling my name! My family would love this for sure. We have pasta at least twice a week and this recipe is going on the list. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Thank you! I hope you're going to try it soon! 🙂
Simple Italian recipes like this are SO delicious! Cacio e pepe is one of the favorites of my Italian in-laws. The homemade pasta really puts it over the top here - it looks like a perfect Sunday dinner to me!
Thanks Ashley! It really is! 🙂