Cacio e Pepe Recipe (Authentic and Easy!)
Updated May 21, 2025, Published Aug 11, 2021
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Authentic Italian Cacio e Pepe Recipe! The easiest pasta of all time with only three ingredients and ready in 20 minutes! You will make this simple recipe every week after learning the easy tricks to make it like an Italian. Buon appetito!
What is Cacio e Pepe?
Cacio e Pepe, or “cheese and pepper,” this minimalist cacio e pepe recipe is Italy’s true “mac and cheese sauce” from Rome. Every Italian keeps this recipe in their repertoire for a quick and delicious pasta meal.
This dish is truly indulgent and packs a ton of flavor. My recipe does not use butter or cream. It is made authentically in Italy and delivers a perfectly creamy result.
“How have I not made this earlier?? It was so easy and delicious. My kids and husband loved it so much there were no leftovers! I couldn’t believe how fast and only a few ingredients. This is definitely going in the frequent rotation!”
– ERIN
This is one of the four classic Roman pastas (Pasta Carbonara, Pasta Alla Gricia, and Amatriciana Sauce).
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
Simple, high-quality ingredients create a classic Italian dish with bold, cheesy, and peppery flavors.
- Long pasta such as spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, or egg tagliolini
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- Parmigiano Regiano cheese (parmesan cheese)
- Reserved Pasta water
- Salt for pasta water
Substitutions and Variations
- Cheese Swap. If you can’t find Pecorino Romano, use all Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. It is an acceptable alternative.
- Gluten-Free. Make this recipe gluten-free by swapping out your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Protein. Add a protein to the pasta, like sautéed shrimp or chicken.
- Spicy. Add crushed red pepper flakes.
Some variations of this recipe include butter, cream, olive oil, red pepper flakes, other types of cheese, and even cream cheese. You won’t find any of that in this authentic cacio e pepe recipe.
See the recipe card for ingredient measurements.
How to Make Cacio e Pepe
This recipe follows the traditional Italian method for a creamy, lump-free sauce without butter or cream. See the step-by-step photos below and the recipe card with more instructions.
Step #1: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the freshly ground black pepper for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Step #2: Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water and swirl the pan.
Step #3: Mix the finely grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of lukewarm pasta water until it forms a smooth, thick paste.
Step #4: Add the drained pasta to the pan with the black pepper water, tossing with tongs for about 1 minute to coat the noodles in the starchy water.
Step #5: Remove from heat and gradually add the cheese mixture, tossing quickly until a creamy sauce forms. If needed, add more pasta water a little at a time to achieve the perfect consistency.
Step #6: Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and black pepper. This simple dish is one you will make again and again!
Top Tips for Creamy Cacio e Pepe
The secret to avoiding heavy cream or butter in this recipe and achieving a super creamy sauce is using starchy pasta water to bind the cheesy sauce with the hot pasta. Here are a few essential tips for this classic Italian pasta dish:
- Use Quality Cheese. Do not cut corners on this step. Buy quality cheese and grate it yourself with a box grater or microplane.
- Use Quality Pasta. This will make this recipe “restaurant-style.”
- Fry the Pepper. I think frying the pepper brings out the aroma and flavor better. Don’t forget the pasta water. It’s what makes the sauce really “creamy”.
- Save Pasta Water. Make sure to save the pasta at the END of the pasta cooking time so the water is starchy. This is essential in creating that “creamy” (without cream) sauce.
- Read: How Long to Boil Spaghetti Pasta Perfectly Every Time to elevate this dish even more!
How to Buy Real Pecorino Cheese
Since only a few ingredients exist in Cacio e Pepe, let them shine and make it count! Let’s start with the cheese. Traditionally, pecorino is used. Pecorino is a sheep-milk cheese. The word “pecora” means sheep in Italian.
How to find REAL Pecorino Romano cheese:
- Look for a black rind on the outside
- The package will have the “DOP” seal/designation for authentication
- It is sheep’s milk, NOT cow’s milk
There are some debates in the regions of Italy about what cheese is best. Whether you use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padana, Pecorino Romano, or a mix, ensure you get the actual cheese from the block and nothing pre-grated!
FAQ’s
This happens when the cheese is added to pasta that is too hot or too cold. To prevent clumping, let the pasta cool slightly before adding the cheese mixture and toss off the heat.
Traditional choices are tonnarelli, spaghetti, or bucatini. These shapes hold the sauce well and provide the right texture.
The quality of the pasta you use makes ALL the difference in the final product. Using a bronze die-extruded pasta releases the most starch and creates a perfectly creamy sauce (without using cream). Read more about it: Pasta Quality Matters: Cheap vs. Expensive Pasta.
The cacio e pepe recipe is one of the most ancient dish of Italian cuisine.
The legend dates back to this simple but delicious Italian spaghetti and cheese to the Roman Empire. For centuries, cacio e pepe was the perfect meal of the Roman shepherds. Dried pasta, aged pecorino, and black pepper. These simple ingredients are easy to carry and don’t spoil in high heat and sun.
Despite what many people think, cacio e pepe recipe does not need any oil, cream, or butter. The creaminess comes from the pasta water and the freshly grated cheese.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
Make Ahead: Cacio e Pepe is best made fresh. The sauce thickens and loses its creamy texture as it sits. Storage: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Gently heat in a pan over low heat with a splash of pasta water or warm water, tossing continuously until creamy again. Avoid microwaving, as it can cause the sauce to dry out and clump.
More Classic Italian Pasta Dishes
- Pasta Carbonara (no cream)
- Pasta Puttanesca Sauce
- Italian Pesto Genovese (Basil Pesto)
- Homemade Pappardelle Pasta Recipe
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe
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Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounce long pasta of choice spaghetti, bucatini, 150 g
- 3 ounce Pecorino Romano, if you can’t find it use 4 oz of parmigiano
- 1 ounce Parmigiano, more for topping
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente per package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a large pan over medium-low heat, toast the freshly ground black pepper for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water and swirl the pan.
- In a small bowl, mix the finely grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano with a few tablespoons of lukewarm pasta water, stirring until it forms a smooth, thick paste.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan with the black pepper water, tossing for about 1 minute to coat the pasta in the starchy liquid. Remove from heat and gradually add the cheese mixture, tossing QUICKLY and continioulsy until a creamy sauce forms. If needed, add more pasta water a little at a time to achieve the perfect consistency.
- Top with extra Pecorino cheese and extra black pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use Quality Cheese. Do not cut corners on this step.
- Use Quality Pasta. This will make this recipe “restaurant-style.”
- Fry the Pepper. I think frying the pepper brings out the aroma and flavor better. Don’t forget the pasta water. It’s what makes the sauce really “creamy”.
- Save Pasta Water. Make sure to save the pasta at the END of the pasta cooking time so the water is starchy. This is essential in creating that “creamy” (without cream) sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my favorite comfort food ❤️❤️❤️
We love this recipe and make it often as well!
This pasta recipe is so good and I love how fast it comes together.
It’s so creamy it’s hard to believe there’s no cream or butter in it!
The amount of pepper was perfect for my husband and I, but the kids thought it was a little spicy, so next time I’ll probably decrease the pepper amount a smidge.
Yes, please adjust to taste! Happy you loved it.
I followed the directions to a T and ended up with a big clump of cheese the consistency of caramel
Did you use freshly grated cheese? If it was pre-grated there are starches that make it clump. Make sure it’s off the heat and stir gradually while adding the pasta water.
How have I not made this earlier?? It was so easy and delicious. My kids and husband loved it so much there were no leftovers! I couldn’t believe how fast and only a few ingredients. This is definitely going in the frequent rotation!
Happy you loved it, Erin! Here’s to many more easy Italian recipes on your dinner table. All the best, Elena.
So Yummy. I absolutely love simple and easy recipes that let the ingredients shine. This recipe checks all of the boxes! For ease and flavor this might be one of my faves. Thanks for sharing your family recipes Elena!
Oh my gosh! This was so so so easy and sooooo delicious! I can’t believe how incredible just a few simple ingredients can be when combined correctly. Plus the kids loved it too. We will be making this a lot!
It is one we make frequently. It is a great easy meal to have in the rotation.
I make a lot of Elena’s recipes, but this is one of my favorites. It’s so simple, but doesn’t taste simple. My kids love it too.
It is a great one for kids! Happy they love it too.