Make Anthony Bourdain’s Favorite Pasta Dish With Just 5 Ingredients, Save Yourself a Trip to Rome | Bravo TV Official Site (2024)

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Where did Anthony Bourdain eat cacio e pepe in Rome? ›

Anthony Bourdain's first on-screen meal in Rome is filmed at what he states is an “undisclosed location.” A little bit of research reveals it as Ristorante Roma Sparita, and they still serve the now world-famous cacio e pepe that Tony dives into with gusto.

Cacio e pepe means 'cheese and pepper' in several central Italian dialects. In keeping with its name, the dish contains grated pecorino romano and black pepper, together with tonnarelli or spaghetti.

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.

At the heart of Italian cuisine is the alchemy of turning a few simple ingredients into something marvelous. Few dishes showcase this better than a perfectly prepared dish of Cacio e Pepe, one of Rome's most famous pasta dishes.

There are four classic Roman pasta dishes: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, and alla gricia. Each one is a variation on the other — alla gricia is cacio e pepe plus guanciale, carbonara is gricia plus egg, and so on. These four dishes are famous in all of Italian cooking, not just in Rome.

Cacio E Pepe

It's traditionally made with hand-made tonnarelli pasta, which is about double the thickness of classic spaghetti. The dish is simply comprised of cheese, black pepper, olive oil, and starchy pasta water to bring the creamy sauce together.

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.

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.

The cheese: many recipes call for Pecorino Romano OR Parmesan but authentic Cacio e Pepe is always made with Pecorino Romano (it is literally in the name!) because it is 3X more flavorful! Flavor. In addition to using Pecorino Romano, this Cacio e Pepe boasts buttery, toasted pepper through and through.

An Italian classic meaning “cheese and pepper” made with fresh cream, Pecorino Romano PDO and black pepper, bringing you restaurant-quality dishes to your home.

What is a good substitute for cacio e pepe cheese? ›

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.

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.

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, ...

But when you're asked to imagine any type of pasta filled with cheese or meat, chances are two pastas in particular immediately come to mind: ravioli and tortellini. The main components of the Italian meal are sauce, cheese, and carbs (either pasta or bread).

The iconic quartet of carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia make up the four most famous and beloved Roman pasta dishes.

– Other must-visit locations include Campo de' Fiori, where Tucci witnesses a grocer preparing artichokes, and Bistrot64 in the Flaminio neighbourhood, where he tries the delectable cacio e pepe. This dish, described as “impossibly simple and delectable,” is a must-order when in Rome on one of our adventures.

Kim Kardashian tries some exotic cuisine in Rome as she continues her Italian excursion over the weekend. The 40-year-old reality star shared several snaps while dining on pasta at the Trevi restaurant on Sunday afternoon.

And Roma Sparita's most famous dish, its tagliolini al cacio e pepe, deserved every accolade. Presented in a fried basket of parmesan, it was the best cacio e pepe I'd ever had. Truly. (To the uninitiated: a traditional Roman dish, cacio e pepe features pecorino romano cheese and black pepper.