Pici, Cacio e Pepe, Authentic

How to make an authentic Cacio e Pepe sauce with 3 ingredients! Served with Pici pasta this recipe will give you all the tips you need to make a solid, silky smooth, creamy and utterly cheesy sauce that you'll want to make again and again!

Cacio e Pepe translates as 'cheese and pepper', it's one of the four famous Roman pasta dishes alongside GriciaCarbonara and Amatriciana. It's made with Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper and pasta water, so simple and insanely good.

In Rome, it's traditionally served with spaghetti or tonnarelli pasta but in Tuscany, it's served with Pici pasta (a traditional shape from Siena) and it's our absolute favourite way to serve it.

And although cacio e pepe is made with few ingredients and takes little time it can be easy to get wrong.

The cheese clumping is the most common problem people face so we highly recommend reading through our top tips section before starting. Following our tips will help you create the creamiest, cheesiest and most good pasta you'll ever eat. Buon Apetitio!

See the recipe below including notes on ingredients, step by step photos, tips, variations and a video tutorial. For the full ingredient amounts and printable recipe scroll to the bottom or click the recipe link below

Ingredients – what you need

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!

• Pecorino Romano DOP – it's so important that you use Pecorino Romano DOP otherwise the cheese may clump. It must say Pecorino Romano DOP and you'll likely have to go to an Italian deli to buy it. Don't use regular Pecorino that most supermarkets sell. Pecorino Romano DOP comes with a black or colourless rind with the name stamped in.
• Black Pepper – Make sure you freshly grind the pepper yourself so it's coarse and fresh tasting, don't use fine powder.
• Pasta – check out our tutorial for making homemade pici pasta. It's a quick and easy eggless dough and is so solid with this sauce. Otheriwse you can use a long dried pasta such as spaghetti.

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Prep – Bring a pot of salted water to a boil (use less pasta water than you normally would so it's extra starchy). Finely grate the pecorino and add it to a small mixing bowl, set aside.

If using dried pasta start boiling it now making sure to undercook it by about 3 minutes.

Toast the pepper – Put the freshly ground pepper in a large dry pan on a medium heat, toast the pepper for a few seconds (photo 1).

Add water – After a few seconds add ½ cup (roughly 120ml) of pasta water, let it simmer as the pasta is cooking (photo 2).

Prepare the cheese – Add a few ladles of pasta water to the pecorino cheese a little at a time until it has the consistency of loose creamy paste (a little thicker than heavy cream, it won't be smooth) (photos 3 & 4).

If using fresh pasta start boiling it now.

Cooking the pasta – When the pasta is about 2-3 minutes away from being cooked, transfer it to the pan with the pepper using tongs and stir it for about 1 minute to release more starch. Add a little more pasta water if it has evaporated (photo 5).

Make the sauce – Next, turn the heat down low and add the pecorino mixture. Stir it continuously until a smooth and creamy cheese sauce is created. It will look like it has split at first but you have to keep stirring and it'll turn into a smooth and creamy sauce. Once you get to the saucy consistency turn the heat off and stir for one more minute so it thickens. (photos 6-8).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Don't fill your pasta pot with too much water! – fill your pot of water with less water than you normally would to cook pasta. This will ensure that the water is extra starchy and will help create a creamy sauce.
• Use tongs! – transfer the pasta from the water to the pan with tongs instead of draining the pasta. This will ensure you have the right amount of water in the pan.
• Stir, stir, stir! – when the pasta is off of the heat and you add the cheese mixture keep stirring continuously until the creamy cheesy sauce is created (a minute or 2). It'll go through a stage at the begining where it looks like it's going to split but don't worry keep stirring and it comes together.

Can we use another cheese other than Pecorino Romano?

No, you must use Pecorino Romano DOP (important). Don't use any other Pecorino of any kind or the cheese will likely clump. Parmigiano Reggiano is also a no-no it'll completely change the flavour.

Can we use other pasta?

Yes, of course, you don't have to use Pici pasta. You can use spaghetti, bucatini or even a short pasta like rigatoni although we recommend using a long pasta shape for your first time making it (it's easier).

More traditional Italian pasta recipes to try

• Spaghetti alla Carbonara
• Bucatini all'Amatriciana
• Pasta alla Gricia
• Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
• Penne Pomodoro (Tomato Basil Pasta)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 lb pici pasta (or other long pasta (450g))
• 2.5 cups Pecorino Romano DOP ((200g))
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Important there are slightly different instructions depending on if you are using fresh or dried pasta. Dried pasta must be cooked at step 3 and fresh pasta cooked at step 7. This is a very quick recipe, read all instructions before starting.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil (use less pasta water than you normally would so it's extra starchy). Finely grate the pecorino and add it to a small mixing bowl, set aside.

3. If using dried pasta start boiling it now making sure to undercook it by 2-3 minutes.

4. Put the freshly ground pepper in a large dry pan on a medium heat, toast the pepper for a few seconds.

5. After a few seconds add ½ cup (roughly 120ml) of pasta water, let it simmer as the pasta is cooking.

6. Add a few ladles of pasta water to the pecorino cheese just a little at a time until it has the consistency of loose creamy paste (a little thicker than heavy cream, it won't be super smooth).

7. If using fresh pasta start boiling it now.

8. When the pasta is about 2 minutes away from being cooked, transfer it to the pan with the pepper using tongs and stir it for about 1 minute to release more starch.

9. Next, turn the heat down low and add the pecorino mixture. Stir it continuously until a smooth and creamy cheese sauce is created. It will look like it's going to split at first but keep stirring and it'll turn into a smooth and creamy sauce. Once you reach the saucy consistency turn the heat off and keep stirring for 1 more minute to let it thicken. Serve.

Kitchen notes

• Use tongs! transfer the pasta from the water to the pan with tongs instead of draining the pasta. This will ensure you have the right amount of water in the pan.
• Stir, stir, stir! when the pasta is off of the heat and you add the cheese mixture keep stirring continuously until the creamy cheesy sauce is created (a minute or 2). It'll go through a stage at the beginning where it looks like it's going to split but don't worry keep stirring and it comes together.
• Storage & freezing cacio e pepe is best served immediately, it won't reheat for freeze well.