Cacio e Pepe Pasta
Posted Jun 08, 2025
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This classic Cacio e Pepe pasta is a simple & flavorful Italian dish made with Romano and Parmesan cheese and black pepper, It’s so delicious you’ll make it on repeat.
This cacio e pepe pasta recipe is a true testimony to the fact that food does not have to be complicated to be delicious.
Made with only a handful of ingredients including cheese, reserved pasta water, butter, and garlic this recipe is easy to make in under 20 minutes.
“Cacio e pepe” literally translated means “cheese (Pecorino) and pepper.” Originating in Italy in the 18th or 19th century, this classic dish is sure to become a family favorite.
Cacio e Pepe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted butter. unsalted butter is a great substitute. Or you can use olive oil in place of butte.r
- Romano cheese. There really is no substitute Pecorino Romano, as it is the essence of this dish.
- Parmesan cheese. use high-quality, freshly grated parmesan for the best results.
- Pasta. Bucatini is my favorite, but we also love angel hair and spaghetti. You can choose your favorite noodle shape and size.
How to Make Cacio e Pepe
This cacio e pepe pasta is very simple to make, but we will walk through the process together – and forget to watch the video.
Begin by cooking pasta until it’s al dente. Then, remove the pasta from the water with tongs and transfer it to a bowl.
Reserve the pasta water to use in the sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Cook the butter and garlic until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant (3 minutes) in a large pot.
Then, add the Romano and parmesan cheeses and whisk to combine.
Next, add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and whisk until smooth. Add additional pasta water (up to 1 cup) until desired sauce consistency is reached.
Then, stir in 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust as desired. If necessary, add salt.
Then, add the pasta and stir until the noodles are evenly coated in the cacio e pepe sauce.
Serve
Serve cacio e pepe topped with chopped fresh basil and extra grated parmesan cheese alongside your favorite Italian recipes. Some suggestions include:
Store/Freeze
Store leftover cacio e pepe pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Cacio e Pepe Recipe FAQS
Yes, it originated in Rome in the 18th or 19th century.
Translated it means “cheese and pepper.
Phonetically it is pronounced, ka·ch·oh·ee peh·pay. Watch this video to hear it yourself!
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Cacio e Pepe Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti (preferably bucatini)
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (4 ounces, grated)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (1.8 ounces, grated)
- ½ to 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1-2 Teaspoon Freshly cracked pepper (to taste)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta until al dente. Remove pasta with tongs into a bowl. Reserve some pasta water.
- In a pot, cook butter and garlic until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant (3 minutes).
- Add cheese and whisk to combine.
- Add ½ cup pasta water and whisk until smooth. Add additional pasta water (up to 1 cup) until desired sauce consistency is reached.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust as desired. If necessary, add salt.
- Add pasta and stir to combine.
- Serve topped with chopped fresh basil and extra grated parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Salted butter. unsalted butter is a great substitute. Or you can use olive oil in place of butte.r
- Romano cheese. There really is no substitute Pecorino Romano, as it is the essence of this dish.
- Parmesan cheese. use high-quality, freshly grated parmesan for the best results.
- Pasta. Bucatini is my favorite, but we also love angel hair and spaghetti. You can choose your favorite noodle shape and size.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
