Cacio e Pepe (2024)

FAQs

Why is cacio e pepe so hard to perfectly execute? ›

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.

You can clearly see this happening if you try to cook cacio e pepe in a pan that's too hot: The cheese proteins form a film on the bottom of the pan. Cheese on the bottom: an indication that the pan was a little too hot. The only real solution is to not let it happen in the first place.

Only use finely grated cheese

Go for finely grated cheese to get that smooth blend. Moreover, If you're not a fan of using all pecorino Romano? No worries! Instead mix it up by adding Parmigiano Reggiano in too – try 50/50 – for a bit of a twist.

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.

Opt for Parmesan: You can use Parmesan instead of Pecorino Romano, or even combine the two for a unique cheese profile. However, Parmesan isn't as salty or tangy as Pecorino Romano, so you may need to add more to get the sharpness that cacio e pepe is known for.

In one infamous episode of No Reservations, Bourdain visited a secret restaurant (later revealed to be Ristorante Roma Sparita) where he enjoyed a cacio e pepe so delicious, he listed a handful of life experiences he would sacrifice in order to eat it again (namely, a Jefferson Airplane concert, some acid trips, ...

The translation of Cacio e Pepe literally means cheese and pepper. This pasta dish is incredibly simple, but packs a lot of rich flavor with pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground pepper. It has a very rich and strong flavor due to the Pecorino Romano sharp cheese as well as the heavy amount of pepper.

- 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).

It's said that the owners of Rome's osterie liked serving cacio e pepe because the salty cheese and copious amounts of pepper in the sauce prompted diners to order wine to wash it down—a clever business ploy by the restaurateurs.

Directions: Shake before opening. Heat and serve with pasta, meats or seafood. Heat sauce on stovetop or microwave.

Is cacio e pepe hard? ›

Technique is everything with cacio e pepe. Making a creamy sauce that coats the noodles takes a bit of elbow grease and vigorous stirring, but once you've done it a couple of times it becomes easy.

That said, as simple as the cacio e pepe ingredient list may be, this dish is famously finicky when it comes to technique. If the cheese is overheated or the starchy pasta water isn't emulsified properly, the sauce can turn into a sticky, clumpy mess, which I can vouch from experience is always such a tragedy.

But what makes cacio e pepe so special, you might ask? It's all in the technique. The key to a perfect cacio e pepe is getting the right consistency for the sauce. It should be creamy and smooth, but not too thick - the cheese and pepper should coat the pasta, but not clump together.