Name: Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 oz pasta (either fresh fettuccini, bucatini or spaghetti); 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (can sub Parmigiano Reggiano); Salt

Dive into a bowl of decadence with our Cacio e Pepe recipe, an Italian classic that combines rich Parmesan cheese and black pepper in perfect harmony for a classic dinner idea that both kids and adults will love.

This pasta dish literally translates to “cheese and pepper”, and it’s the perfect minimalist date night pasta that only requires 5 ingredients and all of 10 minutes to make.

Since no one wants to fuss in the kitchen on a romantic night in, put this pasta on your must-make list. It’s a simple, classic easy dinner idea that’s always a hit! Plus, how can you go wrong with finely grating cheese and pasta?

Even those of you who don’t enjoy cooking will find joy with this recipe. It’s practically fool-proof and will impress anyone you end up serving it to. Trust us, we’ve served this to many dinner dates over the years, all with rave reviews. And now we cook it for the kids and receive no complaints!

the perfect date night pasta - sugar and cloth

Table of Contents

What is Cacio e Pepe?

Cacio e Pepe is a classic Italian Roman pasta dish that traditionally features spaghetti, bucatini, or other pasta varieties, tossed with a sauce made from finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly ground pepper, and pasta cooking water.

The dish is known for its creamy sauce achieved by emulsifying the cheese with the starchy pasta water and creating a smooth, velvety sauce.

It’s as simple as bringing the water to a boil, add the pasta, and season with salt until the pasta is al dente. The magic of this recipe is in using half of the pasta cooking water.

You’ll grate the cheese of your choice and combine it with a cup of reserved pasta water in a skillet over medium heat. The starch leftover from the pasta water coats the pasta and helps the butter and cheese mixture to stick. Pretty cool kitchen trick, right?!

Ingredients Needed

Of course, there’s a little more to this simple pasta dish when it comes to picking out the best ingredients! The magic is all in the cheese and pasta selections. Our version is made:

Freshly grated Pecorino romano cheese: Use high-quality Pecorino Romano cheese for authentic flavor. Its saltiness is a crucial component of the dish. You can also sub it for Parmigiano reggiano cheese or Grana padano cheese.
Spaghetti noodles: Or other traditionally used noodles such as bucatini pasta or fettuccine pasta. Feel free to experiment with different pasta shapes. The key is to choose a pasta that can hold the creamy sauce.
Unsalted butter: Salted butter works too.
Freshly ground black pepper: Coarsely grind it just before using to preserve its aromatic qualities.
Salt: Some recipes experiment with black sea salt

Step by Step Instructions

1 — Boil the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. For the best flavor, salt it generously before adding the pasta. This helps season the noodles from the inside out and means you’ll need less salt later. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente.

2 — Toast the pepper:

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt completely. Stir in the freshly cracked black pepper and reduce the heat to low. Toast for 1–2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant (but not burned).

3 — Save the pasta water:

Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. This starchy liquid is key to creating a silky sauce that clings beautifully to the noodles.

4 — Combine pasta and pepper:

Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the toasted pepper. Pour in about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and toss to coat the noodles evenly.

5 — Add the cheese and finish the sauce:

Gradually sprinkle in the grated Pecorino Romano, tossing constantly to create a creamy, emulsified sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Serve right away, topped with extra Pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper if you’d like.

What to Pair with Cacio e Pepe

While this pasta dinner is meant to be served by itself, you could easily serve it as a pasta side dish. Some pairing options or ingredient add-ons include:

Olive oil and bread with garlic
Zero carb bread if you want to watch your calories
Your favorite red wine like a classic Chianti or Sangiovese to balance the peppery pasta
White wine like Pinot Grigio
Minced garlic
Meatballs
Your favorite dinner protein such as Italian chicken
Sautéed greens like chopped green spinach
Top with finely grated cheese

How Long Does Cacio e Pepe Pasta Last?

If you’re going to spend time making a nice dinner, it never hurts to save a bit for later! You can store your cacio e pepe pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator and ideally use it all within three days.

How to Reheat Your Pasta

There are several tried and true ways to reheat your favorite pasta dishes. You can bake them in the oven, reheat them on the stove, or our least favorite but easiest, microwave them.

Oven: Put the pasta in a shallow bowl, cover with foil, and bake at 350F degrees for 20 minutes.
Microwave: Do the same for the microwave (minus the foil), but you’ll only need to allot 30 to 60 seconds depending on your serving size.
Saucepan: Keep the pasta covered and reheat on medium to low while stirring occasionally until it’s completely warm.

With any of these methods, be sure to keep the pasta dish covered while reheating so that the moisture remains as to not dry out your favorite recipe.

How to Store Leftover Cacio e Pepe Pasta

To store the leftover Cacio e Pepe pasta, put it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3 days. The cheese sauce will harden when exposed to cold temperature but will become creamy again when reheated.

More Easy Dinner Ideas

Besides the perfect date-night dish, this pasta makes an excellent last-minute meal whenever the craving strikes. Healthier than fettuccini alfredo, but just as delicious, this is comfort food done right. What’s your go-to date night meal? In case you’re looking for more easy dinner ideas, here are a few of our favorites —

The best easy meatloaf recipe
Serve the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for dessert
Classic snickerdoodles
Easy rosemary baked lemon chicken

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4.96 from 21 votes