Easy Cacio e Pepe Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

What is Cacio e Pepe sauce made of? ›

Traditionally, cacio e pepe (pronounced: kaa-chee-ow ee peh-pay) is made with just three ingredients: aged pecorino Romano cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and pasta, usually spaghetti; plus the starchy water from cooking the noodles. You don't have to go to Rome to enjoy cacio e pepe.

Cheese– Aged Pecorino Romano is a MUST when making Cacio e Pepe. It is made from sheep's milk and has a strong and tangy flavor. I also use Parmesan cheese because I like the flavor of the two cheeses together. If you want to use ALL Pecorino Romano, you can, but personally I like the mix of both cheeses.

Tips for Making Cacio e Pepe

Let the pasta cool slightly—Ripping hot pasta plus finely shredded or grated cheese inevitably yields a clumpy sauce. Letting the pasta cool for 2 minutes before tossing ensures a perfectly creamy sauce.

But it is extremely hard to execute well because you need to control the heat. The cheese will become stringy if you heat up your pan too much (above 70 °C or 158 °F). I tested all the methods, so you do not need to! Cacio e Pepe is rare in restaurants because it is hard to serve warm without the corn starch trick.

- Add a little more pasta water than you think you need (the pasta will continue to soak it up and the sauce will thicken on your plate).

Pasta: Thick spaghetti, bucatini, or tonnarelli are the three pasta shapes most often traditionally used when making cacio e pepe, but this recipe will work with just about any pasta shape you happen to have on hand.

Parmesan can step in for Pecorino, but keep in mind that it won't have the same salty, tangy flavors as Pecorino, so you may need to adjust seasoning accordingly.

Ingredients. Water, pecorino romano cheese (sheep's milk, sea salt, animal rennet), sunflower seed oil, modified cornstarch, ground black pepper, sodium citrate, xanthan gum, sea salt.

Cacio e pepe is made by emulsifying pasta water with grated cheese and black pepper. It clumps so easily. Alfredo has an image problem. Americans think of it as pasta draped in a cream sauce made of heavy cream and cheese, but the original version is thinner and creamy from an emulsion of butter and grated cheese.

How do you use jarred Cacio e Pepe sauce? ›

Cook your preferred pasta in plenty of salted water. In the meantime, pour the jar of Cacio e Pepe Sauce into a non-stick pan and cook on a low heat. One jar contains enough sauce for 6–7 portions. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge to be used next time.

Cacio e Pepe Variations

Pecorino Romano is a hard, Italian sheep's milk cheese. It has sharp, rich nutty flavor, making it the perfect cheese for this simple pasta dish. If you don't have it or can't find it Parmigiano-Reggiano is a totally acceptable alternative.

Pasta Cacio e Pepe

This iconic pasta is a minimalist recipe — flavored with just butter, salt, cracked pepper, and Pecorino cheese. It's perfect for a quick, unfussy supper.

Similarly to Pecorino Romano, aged Parmesan cheese grates well and has a sharp, nutty flavor. However, due to different production methods, Parmesan is considerably less salty and tangy. When substituting Parmesan for Romano, use a 1:1 ratio. Just keep in mind that you may need to add additional salt to the recipe.

Add pepper and cook ('bloom'), until fragrant and toasted. Use tongs to pull pasta into the pan (this way you are reserving all the pasta water), then add ½ cup pasta water. Using a wooden spoon, stir the pasta, using the pasta as a whisk to emulsify the butter and pasta water into a sauce.

Adding an acid such as a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine and whisking like the Hounds of Hell are snapping at your fingers may emulsify the fat molecules back into the sauce while detangling the protein molecules that have merrily clumped into unappetizing grainy clusters.

Generously salt the pasta water

It can help keep the starches in your pasta from gelling together, reducing the risk of your pasta sticking. Aim to put a tablespoon or two of salt for every quart of water—which is about a quarter or half cup of salt for a pound of pasta.

Adding the sauce slowly, bit-by-bit, as you stir the liquid and pasta in your pot will make the cheese melt evenly and avoid clumping. Think of it like this: Would you have more success carrying 500 pounds of pasta up the stairs at once, or making multiple trips with a fraction of that 500 pounds at a time?