Cacio e Pepe Recipe

If you’re in the mood for a truly classic Italian dish, look no further than this delicious recipe for cacio e pepe. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it’s a dish that’s packed with flavor and sure to please any pasta lover. Plus, it’s ready in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal.

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Years ago we found a little restaurant near the Roman Forum in Rome and tried cacio e pepe, it was simple, full of flavor, and such a delicious dish that we knew we had to make it when we got home. Years later, we’ve put our spin on the classic Roman pasta dish and it’s become a firm favorite in our family!

Why you’ll love this simple pasta dish

• It’s so easy and quick to make this Roman dish, it’ll be on the table in 15 minutes.
• The cheesy creamy sauce is a real crowd pleaser.
• If you like mac n cheese, then give this a go, it’s very different but still delicious pasta in a cheesy sauce!
• Our recipe is 100% vegetarian.

This pasta dish is one of my favorites to rustle up for unexpected guests, who can say no to spaghetti in a cheesy, peppery sauce?

How to make cacio e pepe with step-by-step directions

It’s easy to make our cacio e pepe recipe if you follow our simple instructions.

A full printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, add your pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions, so it is al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add ground black pepper, kosher salt, and lemon juice and cook for a couple of minutes.

Next, drain the spaghetti but reserve a little of the pasta water in a cup and set aside.

Add a little of the pasta cooking water into the pan and then add the cooked pasta and toss to combine all of the ingredients, so the sauce coats the spaghetti.

Now add in your finely grated Parmesan cheese and wait 30 -40 seconds so that the cheese melts, waiting for it to melt, means that you won’t get clumpy cheese.

Serve immediately and garnish with a little more freshly ground black pepper and cheese and enjoy!

Notes and expert tips for making cacio e pepe

• Use bread
  Have a nice chunk of crusty bread for mopping up any excess sauce after the spaghetti has been eaten.
• Don’t have butter?
  Use extra virgin olive oil instead.
• Remember that pecorino romano cheese is not vegetarian
  Use vegetarian Parmesan or Italian hard cheese instead but check the ingredients before using.
• Play with flavors
  Sauté a little minced garlic with the butter, or add in crushed red pepper flakes to give an extra heat.
• Don’t add olive oil to the pasta water
  When you cook pasta, don’t add olive oil to the water, this prevents the creamy sauce from sticking to the spaghetti.
• Remember the pasta water
  Make sure you add your pasta water to stop the cheese clumping together.
• Cream?
  Some people like to add a few tablespoons of heavy cream, you can try it if you’d like, but we prefer it without.

What does cacio e pepe mean in Italian

It simply means cheese and pepper.

What type of cheese should I use?

Being a vegetarian recipe site, we recommend that you use vegetarian Parmesan cheese or Italian hard cheese.

Make sure that you check the ingredients before using your cheese.

What type of pasta should I use?

We like to cook spaghetti when making cacio e pepe, but you can use your preferred pasta.

Angel hair, bucatini, fettuccine, linguine, pappardelle, or tagliatelle would all work well, and if you’ve only got penne or rigatoni in your store cupboard then just use that!

Make it vegan

There are two ingredients in the classic spaghetti cacio e pepe recipe that are not suitable for vegans (providing you’re not using egg pasta).

They are pecorino romano and butter, but it’s easy to swap them out for vegan versions of both.

Please note that pecorino romano is not vegetarian and we have substituted it for vegetarian Parmesan or Italian hard cheese.

How do I store it?

Our spaghetti cacio e pepe recipe will store in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

You’ll notice that the sauce becomes quite thick when it’s been stored, when you reheat it, simply add a little water to loosen it up, stirring occasionally.

Make vegan cacio e pepe

There are two ingredients that are not suitable for vegans, butter and cheese.

By substituting these for plant based butter and plant based cheese, you can make vegan cacio e pepe and it tastes just as good as the original recipe!

More easy spaghetti recipes that you’ll love

If you love our cacio e pepe recipe, then you’ve really got to try these fantastic pasta recipes!

• Pesto pasta
• Spaghetti aglio e olio
• Lemon pasta
• Spaghetti marinara
• Penne alla vodka

Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, for more tasty inspiration!

Learn how to make cacio e pepe with step-by-step photos

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