foolproof cacio e pepe (2024)

JP

I know it is silly to comment on this particular recipe when I can not eat black pepper, but it looks SO good. Maybe I will try it without the pepper but with some minced garlic? It looks so easy and yummy! Thanks for the technique!

Kim

Welcome home! Can’t wait to hear more about your trip. FYI, I believe that you are so averse to the oven right now that you even left it out of the first sentence of this post!

This looks wonderful! But I can also share the Italian method. The secret is a big bowl and two large forks. Put the pepper-oil mixture in a tempered bowl, add the pasta and half the reserved water. Then quickly move the forks back and forth, like you’re mixing a salad but more like quickly scraping along the bottom of the bowl, and occasionally mixing. Quick! Then, add the cheese in parts and continue the same motion, adding more water as needed. Silky smooth pasta with no need for a blender.

Deanna

So it’s not just me that always ends up with a giant clump of cheese. I love a good life changing recipe. My favorite tip is to toast the peppercorns before you grind them. They’re a starring ingredient, might as well give them the star treatment.

Brooke

Awesome! Going to try this when we return from vacation! The usually awesome Carla Lali Music’s version was a total bust the last time I tried it.

Holly

Deb!!! This is in fact, LIFE CHANGING!! I was bored and hungry so I tried it. I had basic ingredients (parm, reg spaghetti and pepper.) I did add some salt…and I am completely sold! I will never life through the cleaning nightmare of clumped cheese. So delicious, so worth it!!!

Genius! I usually add the cheese to the pot that the drained pasta has been returned to, and I do a marvelous job of coating the sides of the pot with the cheese. This is a MUCH more effective way to make one of my favorite comfort foods!

OMG. I was just trying to figure out what to make for lunch in the midst of canning 30 pounds of tomatoes and my kitchen is chaos. Saw this on IG and 15 minutes later, had the best, most perfect lunch (especially since I had some fresh pasta in the fridge that needed a use). You are my hero.

Kate

I’ve been waiting for this since the teaser on IG a few weeks back. Can someone ballpark what “lots of ground pepper” means? A tablespoon?

MissAndi

I went to Rome last year and fell in LOVE with this dish. I’m fairly handy with pasta, but could NOT come close to the Cacio e Pepe I’d fallen in love with. The bowl was pasta would be gloppy mess. This just made it onto our menu for the week! YES!

Clayton Wilder

Hi. Can’t wait to try it. I, too, have attempted and flopped this several times. I’d be interested to know what ratio black pepper to cheese in more specific terms than “a lot.”

Pam

I have tried this several times and just can’t get it right. Hope this technique works. Can’t wait to try it.
My other question is why can’t I put this on my Pinterest board. ☹️

Cat

Nice recipe! First paragraph is missing a word though… “before I even consider turning on the again” Turning on the what?

irishjenn

I wonder if one could make up the cheese/pepper/water paste and storenit in the fridge or freezer to have it ready for small servings?

Charlotte in Toronto

Thank you so much for taking us to Spain with you. I enjoyed every Instagram post and story. You have exotic vacations with little kids down to a science. And this pasta looks awesome. I will be trying it after my September Whole30 is done. My mindless summer eating and boozing orgy has to end sometime so I’m taking drastic measures.

I’m so going to make this, asap! Question, immersion blender OR food processor (as that is what you have in images)?

geekgirl

Julie

I love the article, and it’s the same for me too. I don’t have time, there are already loads of leftovers in the fridge, there are a half-dozen excellent and cheap restaurants within a 1-block walk, and many recipes just suck (thanks to you and Americas Test Kitchen for providing so many of the exceptions!). But it is one of the rare things that I do with nearly 100% focus, and I’m so happy when it turns out well. I’m excited to make that happen again with this recipe, too. Thanks, Deb!

Josie

Where do you fall on the grate your own cheese vs buy it already grated for this recipe?

Terry

Been waiting all summer for this one. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks

heartflood

Saw this, hopped in the car for spaghetti and pecorino, came home and made it. STUNNING. Thank you so much! I used an immersion blender and only 3 tablespoons of cold water to make the paste. Other than that, I did everything as instructed and it turned out amazing!

Drew M

I have made this dish many many times and would suffer from a broken sauce about half the time. I have since switched to Locatelli pecorino romano, which is aged longer than the norm. My sauce has not broken since. It’s a bit more expensive, but as Ferris Bueller says, “if you have the means, I highly recommend picking it up.”
For those interested, I sauté the pepper in 2 tbls evoo, then add the cooked pasta, pasta water, and finally the cheese (off-heat). Good luck! :)

Billie

Michaela

Just made this! Worked a dream until I very slightly over-did it with adding the pasta water at the end though. So don’t be like me and just trust that any cheese clumps will melt without water! Even if you do, don’t worry, it will still be scrumptious :)

Anne Clawson

I am SO EXCITED to try this. We have failed in every way imaginable—right down to the Italian-language YouTube videos.

Sarah

My boyfriend grew up in Rome and we’ve visited together many times. Cacio e Pepe is one our favorite dishes, but we’ve had problems making it at home. His dad (a restaurant owner in Rome) even gave us a lesson and we still couldn’t get it. That’s until tonight. This method for the pecorino is ingenious and it came out so so delicious. Thank you.

Dan

Your Feb 2010 between of this has been a house favorite for years. I was excited to try the update – and maybe not spend so much time on cleanup after. But this made just as much of a mess. Stringy vs clumpy doesn’t seem worth bringing it the immersion blender to clean. I’ll stick with the old one. (Still wicked delicious either way).

Rebecca Swanner | Let’s Eat Cake

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes EVER! Can’t wait to make it at home.

May Carr

Only had penne. Used the same ounce-weight and it was perfect. Ended up using three tbsp of cold water for the sauce and 1/4
Cup pasta water to loosen. Thank you!

Lindsay

Deb, you’re the best! Loved the article!

Loved your NYT piece… I shared it on FB and saved it with all my cookbooks :) Brava!

Thanks so much for sharing the recipe Deb! I hope your world remains forever full of cacio e pepe. But if for some reason you need a refresher course, you always have Rome. Maybe it’s time for a visit? (Personally? I went to Flavio last night, and am going again tomorrow. This is NOT what I had in mind for my September back-to-work diet!!)

Although I’m excited to try this “foolproof cacio e pepe,” I’m most inspired by the op-ed. Yes, yes, yes – and thank you

jeanvram

Rachel Ray said more often when she’s boiling pasta, to add salt to the water until it’s rolling boil. Otherwise, just goes down the pot and eventually damages the pot.

met0813

Jonathan

I learned to love cooking because of your blog (and books!). It was awesome to read this particular recipe and your relationship with cacio e pepe over the years, because it speaks directly to my own experience. I’ve consistently used Bon Appetit’s recipe, and have consistently faced the glop. Really excited to try this one out. Thank you for being inspirational, and such a reliable resource.

JaneRC Boulder

For the spaghetti and for the pecorino romano you say
‘see note at end”
I cannot find ‘note at end’!!

Barclay Terhune

I had given up on this except ordering out. It worked the first time using your method. Thanks.

Sudie

I made your 2011 version four times last week and feel I’ve prepared sufficiently to try this one out. Fingers crossed and very excited to have something else to use my immersion blender for!

Could you give us a general idea about how much pepper, since I’ve never had this before? Like, are you talking a teaspoon, a tablespoon or a 1/4 cup? Thanks for all the great recipes!

Emily

Oh gosh so excited to try this method. I just always thought that the cheese adhering to the tongs, spoon, pot, etc was normal for this meal. Thanks for finding The One!

Jamie

I just made it and it was fantastic! Thanks, Deb!

Kirk

I’m not sure what happened but I ended up with a stringy ball of cheese

Melissa K

This is a game changer. Ever since we got home from our vacation in Rome, I have been trying to get Cacio e Pepe right. I made this tonight and it came out perfect. Thanks!

Stephanie

This was magic- so delicious! I actually made it with Trader Joe’s yellow lentil and brown rice spaghetti and it came out awesome!

Hillary

I made this tonight and way overdid it with the pepper. I took about a generous teaspoon full of peppercorns and tasted then, then grinder them in my spice grinder. I’d say I had a tablespoon of coarsely chopped pepper. Unfortunately added it all to the cheese before reading updated notes which says to taste and then add more if needed. It was on the verge of inedible. But the sauce did come together and I didn’t need much pasta water added.

Erin Yates

Simple and delicious! I made this tonight using the fine grater Cuisinart disc to grate the pecorino and the blade to make the paste, and it worked perfectly. I also just scooped the pasta directly from the pot into a large bowl and found that enough hot water clung to the spaghetti that it easily formed a sauce. Thanks for another great recipe!

It’s approaching bedtime and I’m tired, but after I read this post, I went straight to the kitchen and munched down a hunk of Parmesan. sighhhhh This recipe does not bode well for my hips.

Sheryll

Thank you for persisting and then sharing this recipe. It is absolutely scrumptious and full of flavor. Plus it is fast to put together. I used your food processor method and it worked like a charm. For the paste 1 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper and 3 T of cold water seemed about right.

So, I followed the instructions exactly and my cheese clumped up into large globs? Admittedly I did not use pecorino romano but rather king soopers Parmesan… could that be the culprit? It was delish nonetheless just not very sexy looking. 😂

libbsalot

Ha! This is so awesome! I figured this out on my own, from playing around with a genius variation of fettucine alfredo I got from a church cookbook, and a pastini recipe I got from our Italian preschool teacher. (It can work with some other cheeses!)
Except I never cook the pasta so long. I bring it to a rolling boil, cover it, turn off the heat, and throw a few dish towels and potholders on top. By the time I’ve whipped up that sauce and set the table, voila! al dente perfecto! Mostly just for not making the kitchen hot in summer.
Thank you, thank you, Deb! You made my day. I love your blog, and how your posts are often little persuasive essays or satisfying little puzzles.

Jill Russell

Oh my goodness! This actually works! I too have tried and failed but this is foolproof.

Carmen

That article was just what my – rut stuck- self needed.

Al

Hi Deb! Just curious if you’ve you heard of/tried this technique from Cook’s illustrated where they suggest using half the usual amount of water to cook the pasta so that the pasta water is starchier. It shoes up in the recipe for Spaghetti Carbonera (but interestingly not in their recipe for Cacio e pepe). Do you think this approach would that help emulsify the cheese better in Cacio e pepe as well? Asking for a friend who doesn’t own a blender….

So glad I found this recipe! I am travelling with a fussy 14-year-old daughter who will eat pasta until it comes out of her ears but has a mother who can only ever think of pesto, meat sauce or pesto. I made this yesterday and wanted to tell you it was lovely :))) It didn’t go globby on me which was a success and also to say I had never EVER thought of toasting the peppercorns before but I did on the recommendation from you. The difference is amazing. Thanks again!

Julie

Wow- interesting! I’m excited to try this method. I have used a splash of cream in past cacio e pepe ventures as well….

chapiskitchen

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes! Simple, yet also elegant and delicious. It looks truly fabulous.

PenFox

Where. Has. This. Been. All. My. Life?!?!?!

Rocky Mountain Woman

I need this in my life before the summer is over!

Kelly

Volleen

I loved the article on why you should never cook. All the way to the end. It made me smile but I now love popcorn even more (if that was possible)

Lynne

This is a wonderful recipe! So quick and easy and it feels special. Loved it! Ok so here’s a confession: I started making it with my immersion blender, but the cheese was kind of flying all over the place. So I just mixed it with a wooden spoon. The cheese was well grated so that helped. The texture was perfect – just as described in the article. Also, only because my pepper mill is on it’s last legs, I used my mortar and pestle to grind up A LOT of peppercorns. The varying textures were awesome in the pasta.

Maria

This is life changing. I’ve already made it twice this week. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Annie

Jessica McKay

This was delicious and worked perfectly! Thank you for being obsessive about recipes, so I don’t have to!

Laura

I can’t wait to try this – cacio e pepe is my favorite pasta dish! One question: is there a way of knowing how much 4 oz of cheese is without having a food scale? Could you maybe give an equivalent approximation as to how many cups that comes out to when grated? I only have a giant block of Pecorino from Costco but I want to make sure I get the proportions righht!

Jeff Winett

And now I have the thrill of saying that you changed “my” life. I had my way with the recipe last night, and let me tell you….outrageously easy, and the best rendition of this dish EVER! Lucky for me that you decided not to give up on Cacio E Pepe, and that you found, tried and shared. Up until last night, I’d vibed with a version that used a tad of cornstarch for even emulsification. Now that seems vulgar. Oh, am I “smitten” with this newfangled pure form of Cacio E Pepe. I made the Pecorino paste a couple of hours in advance, leaving covered at room temperature. What a joy to have restaurant style pasta in the blink of an eye. Deep thanks for what you’ve shared.

Jami

Yes! I saw that video this summer and was intrigued. Almost ate at Flavio Valevodetto’s restaurant last summer when in Rome, but couldn’t make it there. Trying this tonight!

Cris S.

Haven’t read most of the comments, so forgive me if this is a repeat. I read an online article this summer (can’t remember where – again, need to ask for forgiveness) and it narrowed down the issue to adding the water to the cheese when the water was too hot (or when your pasta is too hot, depending on your recipe). The cheese turns into glue when it is too hot, instead of just melting. I’d had your same frustrating experiences with this too, but once I started letting the water cool some, instead of trying to do everything while piping hot, it finally came together.

andrew

oh my this is delicious! my husband almost always reaches for the salt with what i prepare but he devoured this without hesitation. the pepper provided a great kick- far from overwhelming but, as advertised, clearly present. and deb, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts in the times. as my mother-in-law believes, you have a career waiting as a regular contributor. cooking and baking have long provided a safe place for me, though to be clear, safe does not translate to peaceful. i have screamed, shouted and cursed, but always know the next time is just that, another opportunity to make it work. thank you again and yes, this recipe is indeed foolproof!

Abby

We made this last night and it was delicious! My wife has developed a cow milk allergy, so was so excited to see a recipe that was crafted for peccorino romano (sheep cheese). Thanks!

Em

Ok maybe this is crazy, but I was wondering if you think it’d be possible to make the paste ahead of time, then store in the fridge for a while? The idea of cacio e pepe on demand is so intriguing!!

Alice

I enjoyed your op-ed from the New York Times (as you referenced in your cacio e pepe post), but could do without the political innuendo!

Marcie

Well looks like it’s not foolproof after all. My cheese paste turned into hard clumps as soon as it touched the pasta water. Not sure where I went wrong :(

Ben

This is seriously genius! I’ve been making cacio e Pepe for years to varying degrees of success. I have always battled with the cheese coagulating. This technique worked so well. Thank you!

My husband & child had been gone all week for various reasons so I hadn’t cooked dinner once this week. Friday night comes & I have no idea what to make and very little inclination. Luckily, I saw this. Within 1/2 hour, dinner was on the table & not a drop was left. An added bonus, I really want to book a cooking class with Elizabeth Minchilli.

Monica

Made this last night and it was yummy! Instructions for the process were perfect (and cleanup wasn’t that bad!). I used about 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground pepper. Trader Joe’s sells pecorino romano already grated, so I used that. It was a bit too salty for my taste, so I ended up making the recipe with half grated parmesan and half pecorino romano.

huntingwithmorels

Abby

I made this tonight and it was perfect! So easy and cozy, exactly right. I admit I added some pancetta, but only because my husband had actually requested carbonara for dinner and I didn’t feel like dealing with that particular sauce when you had just posted this!

Cynthia

I made this after having a hankering all week and then you posted a simple recipe! Made the cheese-pepper paste on Friday and thought the sauce was too clumpy. Then I realized that the cheese-pepper paste was too cold – room temperature would help a lot. I have now tried two more times with room temp paste and can say that is the secret! And not too much pasta water.

Jennifer

Some of my cheese paste formed a sauce, but some of it clumped up into stringy cheese wads. The sauce that did form was tasty and encourages me to try again. Next time I might let the pasta cool for just a minute, and make super sure that the cheese paste is evenly coating the pasta before adding any water.

Where did you get your pepper grinder? It’s beautiful! Also, this looks amazing. Cacio e Pepe and a tomato salad is one of my all time favourite meals!

emilyfrances5

Made this last night for dinner, and it turned out nearly perfect. I didn’t think about the saltiness of the cheese when cooking the pasta, and wish I hadn’t added so much salt to the cooking water. I bet this method would work well for fettucine alfredo too. I do wish I didn’t need to drag out the food processor (I have a hate/love/hate relationship with that kitchen appliance). Maybe it would work in a Vitamix too? Or maybe it’s just time to invest in an immersion blender.

Zoe

This dish, paired with a glass of red wine on a cool September Sunday evening, was absolute bliss. I have been meaning to try making this, and it was worth the wait for this recipe. Gracie mille!

Emily

This was brilliant!! I’ve also loved this dish but got the gloopy cheese disaster every time (i.e. random, huge hunks of half-melted cheese in some bites and no cheese in others). This worked! I used parmesan cheese with some added salt and put in pepper to taste. I ended up using all of the reserved pasta water and got a nice, saucy cheese mixture. I thank you and my stomach thanks you :)

Suzzanne

I read to the end. Your collection of recipes has helped me enjoy my kitchen. I know your recipe will work out. If I come home from the market with blueberries, I know you will tell me a good way to use them. When I was wondering how to fix the Yukon Golds my husband just dug from our garden, I found your recipe for Easiest French Fries! Loved your oped!

Sara

I know this is sacrosanct, but for years I’ve been making this dish by bringing pasta water + a knob of butter to a simmer until creamy and THEN adding the pepper and cheese and pasta. NO sticky mess, and the cheese folds in and combines perfectly with no lumps. No additional dishes or pots and pans needed either.

Laura

Ha! I found her recipe after we got back from eating cacio e pepe nonstop in Rome over Feb break, followed the video, and ours tasted just like in Italy! It really is so simple, and my only regret is we walked right by the restaurant and didn’t go in!

Michelle

I don’t know what happened. I followed the directions to the letter. I ended up with huge clumps of cheese that just would not melt. It was unsalvageable, and ended up in the trash. So disappointing. :(

anne

We just made this for dinner, and WOW, IT WORKED! We added steamed broccoli at the tossing point (because i need vegetables), so less pasta water. It was delicious, and will enter the rotation of work-night dinners. Thank you so, so much for this!

pam

This was DELICIOUS!
Thanks for cracking the code, Deb!

Mo

Wow! I’m so glad I came across this recipe. I found it very easy to make. I didn’t end up adding too much hot water because things seemed to get pretty loose and creamy quickly. My batch was particularly salty. Next time, I’ll dial back the salt in my water to accommodate for the very salty pecorino romano available at my grocer.

tei

Hi, we are planning to make this for tonight’s dinner, but I have a feeling that it does not make a good microwave lunch for tomorrow. Anyone tried reheat it in a microwave?

Perfection! I made it with Angel hair because that’s all I had in house. It was a challenge to get it mixed without ending up in a big ball, but I did it. We are sitting here with tingly tongues…thanks for another winner, Deb!

duch*essbranwyn

I made this twice in a week:
The first time it worked perfectly and it was delicious.
The second time I tried to make a half recipe and somehow the cheese melted and seized into chunks and did not coat the noodles.
I just ripped the cheese chunks into tiny pieces and put some parmesan on top and we ate it anyway, but I’m very curious why it might have worked the first time and not the second because I made it the same way…

Marja

kingsinger

danmarkovitz

mariadax

I made cacio e pepe successfully before I switched the brand of pasta I use. I like the taste of my new brand better, but it leaves the cooking water way less starchy. I think the extra starch used to help emulsify the sauce since it made the cooking water alone all gooey. (I used to use Wegman’s brand organic spaghetti, now I use the Field Day spaghetti) I have to try this method and see how it goes! Thanks, Deb!

Molly

I found your Instagram about 2 weeks ago and I am in heaven. I have never been much of a cook, much better at baking! I have made 5 of your recipes and have loved every single one! Last night, I braved this one. Never having made (or attempted) this type of recipe, I was intimidated. But with your detailed instructions I went for it. And it was amazing! And gave me new confidence in my skills! Thank you for sharing your delicious and different recipes!

Mary

Kate

I made this tonight (along with a side of white beans and spinach) after a long, horrible day running errands. It was perfect, comforting and not crazy heavy.

FizzyBlonde

As ever with Deb and this blog, delicious flavor. But I failed to achieve perfect creaminess. There were still chunks of melted cheese that i could not incorporate fully into the pasta even with more hot pasta water. I think maybe I needed to blitz the sauce more fully in a regular Cuisinart with the big-ass blade instead of the mini so that the cheese really broke down. All that said, come on it’s pasta and cheese – satisfying and super tasty.

Bonnie

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I had an Italian parent of a child in my class track down some tasty pecorino for me (we live in Germany, and it can be hard to come by…) and this dish was a hit. Not only with me, but with my meat-lover husband AND my picky toddler. I’ve been dreaming of this dish every since I first heard of it 4 years ago. I was not disappointed!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We’ve been trying to make this since we last had it in Rome a year ago. Failure…until now. It was perfect and easy. Grazie!

Molly K

I had never eaten cacio e pepe, but this sounded wonderful, so I knew I had to try it and spent $11 on the little wedge of cheese. It sat in the fridge for a few days waiting for me to make up my mind about which immersion blender to buy. In the end, they all sounded flawed in some way, and I chickened out on buying one. But rereading your post, I decided if I shred the cheese first, my (manual) food processor might do the mixing job just fine. It did! I first shredded the Pecorino Romano using the side of the grater with the tiny four-point stars. That took 5-10 minutes. But then it was a cinch to mix with the pepper and cold water. Having watched the video you linked, I was confident going into the mixing stage, and I THINK it turned out fine, although it’s my first experience with this dish, so who knows! I hope the leftovers reheat well because I want this again tomorrow! And my picky two-year-old kept asking for more.

Kathy

I find it hard to credit that it’s been 7 years since I started reading and cooking from your site. This post reminded me that it was a quest for a recipe for Cacio e Pepe that led me here in the first place. We had been on a visit to NY and I’d fallen in love with the dish as served at Lupa. I was never able to reproduce it to my satisfaction but I’m ready to try again.
I’ve made many, many recipes from your site with great success. I thank you (as does my husband) for all those years of good eating.

Sara

This is off topic from cacio e pepe (which is amazing – thank you!), but I am so excited to hear about Andalucia… I’m in the midst of planning a trip to Spain next summer and would of course love to hear about yours!

Max

As easy and delicious as promised. Didn’t have enough parm., so used a bit of Gruyere to make up the difference, and used orechiette instead of spaghetti, and it earned raves at the table. Next time I’ll keep the orechiette but use all parm. A keeper. Thank you for a beautiful website.

Nicole

Ah yes thank you for acknowledging the dreaded pile of cheese on my pasta tongs and not on the pasta! Excited to try this and now that you have brought it to light, it makes so much sense! I usually do this same technique with homemade pesto- get it really thick and paste like and then stir it into the pasta and thin later. Brilliant!

This really worked! I made the old one you posted several times, but to be honest it always bothered me as well, but I figured it was one of those restauranty butter/oil combos.
This was incredibly rich and the texture was perfect. Thank you!

Ray Van Dorpe

I made this recipe and it was easy and delicious! My immersion blender (Cuisinart) comes with a blending cup (vessel?), which worked perfectly. I’ll make this recipe again and again!

Patti

I am wondering if the measurement of the cheese is by weight or volume. As in 1/4 cup. Thank you!

Patti

Sorry, I meant 1/2 cup = 4 oz.

Will absolutely be trying this method! I ate this in Rome a few years ago and could never work out how to recreate it properly. Thanks so much :)

It took me too tries but I think I got it. Thanks for the tips!!!

Anne

Thank you for this, I’ve finally tried this tonight (needed some pasta & wine after today) and successfully had no giant ball of cheese on the tongs and lots of cheese coated pasta in the bowl.

Perfection. Followed the instructions to the letter and it was the cacio e pepe of this carb-craving pregnant lady’s dreams. Having this by myself for lunch while my toddler napped made me *almost* feel like I was back in Italy… nah, who am I kidding, I would need a couple negronis before that could happen. Counting down to when negronis can come back into my life, but until then, this cacio e pepe is making me very, very happy. Thanks Deb!

Janine

Strange outcome. My soft paste turned into hard clumps of cheese and pepper when combined with the wet, hot pasta. It didn’t form a sauce. I have no idea why.

Traci

I’ve made the old version of this recipe as well as this one both with diasterous results. The old has all the problems described, but this one came out watery (I barely used a ladle of water) and had dollops of the “cheese frosting” that refused to melt or incorporate. They just got stringy. I’m not sure how I could’ve mixed this better (tried tossing with tongs and the two fork technique), but I’d love some help.

Erin D

Ok, so I made this. The first time, I spent a small fortune on cheese, and it came together like a dream and I ate it after I put the baby to bed and it was a miracle. The second time, I used ‘meh’ cheese (it was still a triangle, so i had to grate it, but it was budget parm) and it clumped and then got sticky and was awful. I still ate it with wine while the baby slept, but I learned my lesson– quality ingredients really are worth it! Thanks for the new technique, Deb, and helping me learn :)

Elizabeth Sullivan

I had tried and failed to make every Cacio e Pepe recipe the internet could provide me. Tears were shed each time I attempted this dish because I would fail so miserably and waste x amount of dollars worth of cheese and pasta. Until I ran across yours! It is truly foolproof and soooo delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing, thank you!

Keri

This is delicious. I made the cheese / pepper mixture and then realized I didn’t have any spaghetti. Oops. I served it with penne and loved it. I made the cheese paste in a food processor, as I can’t picture how an immersion blender would work with so little liquid.

Rochelle

Just made this and sadly it didn’t work for me. I think it went south after I added some pasta water(1-2 Tbsp). Made the paste mid aft. and let it sit at room temp til dinner. I reserved the pasta water 3 min before pasta was done, then tossed pasta and paste for a good 3 min. At this point it looked pretty good, but somewhat dry so feeling rather confident I tossed in the water. Clumps started forming, tried adding more paste, more water. All I got was more clumps. It was very tasty tho. My wok used for tossing is soaking in sink.

danmarkovitz

LNP

I took “foolproof” too literally and added too much pasta water at once at the end. It basically rinsed the cheese off the pasta but it was still delicious! Next time I’ll be a little more careful, lol.

Marion Tayor

Jenn

Fia

Amazeballs! My son and I watched the video, and I made it exactly as is (with the exception of doubling the recipe). The bowl was clean! This was so fast, simple, and delish, that I’m sure it’ll become a staple in my house.

putnamk

I’ve been waiting for one of those desperate-but-still-wants-actual-dinner nights. And here we were. This is brilliant. I actually worked off the process by memory rather than sensibly referencing back and used warm water in my food processor, but all turned out just fine. Creamy, peppery, silky pasta. Actual dinner. It’s good for the spirits.

Andrea

I have to say that this dish was a hit. Super easy and delicious ! Thanks :)

I was inspired to make this over the weekend by a random internet comment that had nothing to do with food. I’m SO happy I did and I also feel like I finally understand cacio e pepe! This was delicious, simple, and super easy. Also, I made mine with pre-grated parmesan and thin fettuccine noodles and it was still delicious so I can’t wait to try again with a proper block of pecorino romano!! (It’s actually pretty tasty when reheated, but definitely better fresh.)

Stephanie

Foolproof! After too many failed lumpy, clumpy attempts at cacio e pepe, this recipe answered my prayers. One slight change: I “bloomed” the pepper in 4-5 tbsps on warm olive oil, then used the oil in the place of the cold water.

Benny

First time making it. So yummy.

Liane

I halved the recipe, made it in a mini-food processor, about an hour before I got around to pasta cooking so it came to room temp. Mixed with piping hot pici. Blended right in and barely needed any pasta water. I couldn’t be happier!! Thanks! No more glop.

Definitely going to try this. Had Cacio e Pepe for the first time in Tivoli this year and it is soooo good!

Thank you for sharing this. I am about to move into my own apartment and am looking for recipes so I can begin working on my “barely there” culinary skills. Cacio e pepe is my favorite pasta and while the ingredients are minimal, I think that might make it even harder to perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am excited to try and will report back :)

Kevin

This has been my story with potato gnocchi, I’ve only once made light fluffy clouds that melt in your mouth and have been trying it for years with no idea what was different that one time. Can you share if you figure that one out too?

GreginNY

Great recipe! I’ve also tried about 10 different versions – I found it also works well to take out some pasta water halfway through the pasta cooking, let the water cool for a few minutes, then add it to the cheese and pepper in a separate bowl and whisk it in – this makes a nice creamy sauce. However, I’ve found adding hot pasta actually makes the cheese clump, whereas letting the pasta cool for a minute or two helps it blend with the sauce better.

Amy

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

Hayley

Just made this, really delicious! My husband is away this week, so I halved the recipe – I can confirm it’s the perfect solo dinner.

Katie

Thank you so much for this very helpful recipe and explanation! I’ve been trying to make classic Cacio e Pepe for years and have always ended up throwing in the towel and adding olive oil, butter, or cream…which all stick to the bowl, not the noodles. This technique really does yield perfect pasta, every time.

macfadden

This is awesome! I made it for dinner a few nights ago and we devoured it. I’ll be making it again regularly.

Amanda

This was SO good! Just like I had in Rome on my honeymoon. So glad you included that you used 46 grinds of pepper, I used that as my jumping off point and I ended up using 56! Thank you so much for sharing!!

Erika

This is not foolproof. It didn’t work for me. Maybe add that the cheese can sense your mood and you shouldn’t make this when you’re having a bad day.

Emily F

I just made this for dinner tonight with fresh homemade pasta. I am not one to write reviews, but this was an outstanding recipe! I followed the directions exactly and everything came out perfectly. The sauce was smooth and creamy, no clumps of cheese which was something I was worried might happen. Thank you so much, this one is a keeper!

Nathalie Zennj

Hi, I notice you say to use an immersion blender, but your photos show a food processor. Can I use a food processor? Thanks!

Nancy Carlson

Delicious! The sauce is so creamy and coated the pasta perfectly with this method. I put hot water in the mixing bowl while pasta cooked. Hot noodles, hot bowl, cheese paste, and voila. Perfecto. Thanks Deb!!

Alexis Chouery

Deb, I tried this out and it was perfect! Thank you for posting :)

Kim Lambert

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I finally made cacio de pepe that was not a big, globby mess!

Richard Foster

I am a beginning (75 year old) cook. I have recently been roped into doing my fair share in the kitchen, which somehow ends up being Tuesday and Thursday nights. I made this recipe tonight. My wife and I agreed it tasted like plain pasta. I think I may have grated too little cheese. It seemed like a lot was left stuck to the immersion blender. My wife ( very experienced cook— knew about the recipe as soon as I mentioned it to her) had a good idea: dump the pasta in the same bowl you mix the cheese and pepper in— that way nothing is left behind in the mixing bowl. Her other idea: after tossing the melange, put it back in the hot spegghati pot, maybe even with a little heat, to keep it warm.

MaryCay

Deb – since the descriptor says “fool proof”
I’m embarrassed to ask this question but will anyway. I made this last night and as I was halfway into stirring the cheese/pepper paste into the noodles it began to form into a robbery glob that I couldn’t dissolve.
The mix seemed to be the right consistency.
What went wrong??

Nicole

This turned out perfectly with a lovely creamy pasta. I ended up doubling recipe so needed to mix 1/2 Pecorino and 1/2 Parmesan. Can’t imagine it being any tastier!! Thanks.

Liz

I had clumping :( But it was still delicious :) I think I didn’t get the paste on the pasta fast enough. I was juggling a salad at the time.

Erin

Any reason you couldn’t make this with fresh pasta?

So good. I made this with preshredded parmesan, using a mini foodprocessor. For one person – a scant 1/2 cup of parm, 25 grinds of pepper and 3+ tablespoons of water. Pulse in the mini processor (make sure that you scrape the sides often). Would probably have been even better with pecorino.

rose916

I made this with my own recipe and it was a dismal failure!! As I read your post I just kept saying “yes”, “Yes”, “oh Yes.” Everything that you said went wrong went wrong for me. Even though my family is Italian, my mom and grandmother never made this dish. My Dad had it in Rome at a wonderful place on the Via Veneto where he insisted we lunch every day that we were in Rome. He alternated between Cacio e Pepe and their amazingly thin pizza. I tried to capture the dish so many times and had the cheese issues you mentioned every time. I ruined so many sponges trying to clean it up. lol I think this recipe may be it and I am trying it tonight. I don’t have any pecorino, but I have a nicely aged reggiano parmesan which will be fine. Love your blog and wish my blog didn’t have to be about living with IBS, but c’est la vie. My daughter has your cookbooks and loves them.

Claire

Has anyone tried making this in a Nutribullet instead of a food processor? I’m worried that it won’t work as well….

Penny Powell

Oh gosh so excited to try this method. I just always thought that the cheese adhering to the tongs, spoon, pot, etc was normal for this meal. Thanks for finding The One!

Denise Anderegg

I am allergic to black pepper so I dry papaya seeds and use those as my black pepper which works great.

Kate

Question – does the pepper paste keep? I made WAY too much. If I ever want to kiss my husband again there is no way I can use it all. How can it be stored for future cacio e pepe cravings?

Rebecca Lichtenfels

I am a HUGE fan of yours and have always found most every recipe of yours to be foolproof. Sadly the one that’s called foolproof didn’t work for me!! I followed it to the t, and had so much clumping well before the water was added. I was moving the pasta around like a madwoman but nothing helped. The water then just made it worse and I had stringy cheese and peppery water. I ended up putting it all back in the pot and heating it up – it tasted ok but I think much of the cheese and pepper was left behind. Ugh.

Kimberly Wade

I made this and Deb speaks the truth! My only addition was salt. I had cacio e pepe a few weeks ago in a popular Atlanta restaurant and no doubt the batch I just made from SK was better. And, I timed myself 17 minutes start to finish. Good quality pecorino is a must. I used A LOT of pepper but didn’t measure.

My boyfriend and I have started making this after eating it in Lazio last year. So delicious! Great recipe! Thanks

Val

This recipe is so simple and so delicious!!! So happy to find it, this will help me use my Costco splurge of 4 pounds of Pecorino Romano. Thank you!

Karin Eisen

Jonathan Marotta

I just made this and things were going well but the sauce then seemed to separate. It went from creamy to very liquidy with thick strings of Romano. Any ideas? Initial cheese mixture too wet?

Jennifer McBride

Has anyone tried this recipe with gluten free pasta? Just wondering how it works…

IAC

It works !
The 1st time I made Pepe e Cacio, it was like chunks of pizza cheese in the pasta.
This time, nice and smooth !

Sarah

CLB

The easy cheat version I make for my kids– melt the cheese in some of the leftover pasta water in the pot. Throw the spaghetti in after that. It won’t win any awards but it’s super-quick and it works!

Natasha

I just made this and it worked absolutely perfectly, and was delicious. And it was so easy! I grated the cheese with the grating blade of the food processor, and then made the paste with the normal chopping blade. I needed only the tiniest amount of the reserved pasta water at the end.

Ann

It took me two tries to get this right, but I’m so glad I tried the second time because it is glorious! I feel invincible!

As an Italian I would just put half of the grated cheese in a bowl, pour hot water and mix with a whisk. At the end, serve with the rest.
But your method might be easier for a better blend.

Theresa Beaulieu

Good morning Kit. My Italian G.F told me they used to make a spaghetti pie as follows. 3 Ingredients, a doz eggs, as they were plentiful in Italy, a cup and a half of pecorino grated, and a pound of spaghetti. Beat the eggs, add tons of pepper and the grated pecorino then the cooked pasta al dente. Bake in a pie plate or loaf pan at 375 for an hour. This was a dish the poorer families made for lent.
It is delicious.

sophiegallizioligmailcom

This is absolutely perfect as is! … but also I recently got offered truffle oil, and added some of it to the mix. O.M.G.

I was inspired to finally give this a try after seeing your instagram live yesterday. I did everything you did exactly, except I used parmesan instead of pecorino. Sadly, as I tossed the cheese/pepper paste with the pasta before adding the water, a thick layer of the cheese developed on the bottom of the bowl, and some clumps simply wouldn’t dissolve at all. Could this be that I used parm instead of pecorino? I refuse to give up!

Lauren

We just made this. It was amazing! We just went to Italy for our honeymoon last summer and we enjoyed this with a bottle of wine we brought back. Thank you so much! We will be making this regularly.

Sophia Weston

Just made this and it turned out delicious. It has both a gourmet feeling and easy comfort. What a perfect combination! I found Pecorino with Pepper at the store, added some extra pepper, drizzled with olive oil, I am in pasta heaven.

V

Just made this (craving cacio e pepe after I ate at Vic’s last weekend) and it worked perfectly!!! I watched the video on Elizabeth Minchilli’s site, so I was ready to swish and toss, toss, toss the pasta once the paste was added. No stringy cheese issues, but I think it helped that I used a very fine grater that made the cheese almost like powder. My husband and I ate the whole bowl- thank goodness our mini guy doesn’t like white sauce pasta, otherwise we wouldn’t have had enough! Thanks for sharing this technique, will be our go-to for quick pasta from now on!

Catherine sheeran

Thank you for this recipe. Dinner was easy and the entire family loved the pasta! Game changer

You’re a saint. Thank you SK. Your ricotta changed my life, and I feel this will too!

Vanessa

Totally delicious, but so much cheese!!!!!! I don’t know who can feed 3 people as a main on 8 oz of pasta???? I measured 400 grams (c. 14 oz) of dry bucatini for 4 people like they do in Italy… but getting close to a half a pound of grated pecorino started looking crazy! I finished my pecorino piece at 3 oz and then went with parmesan plus a little salt for the rest .. but stopped at 4 oz with a mircoplane zester and the ratio seemed perfect, even with all the cheese clumping that still occurred. Still, for a last minute family dinner “in” on a FREEZING November Friday night this was perfect & just like we’ve had in Rome! Thank you!

Thanks for the recipe! Ate this so much when I was in Rome last year, so good to eat it again!

Dear Deb: This does not turn out well if you, say, had to go on vacation, and threw some storebought pre-grated Romano a houseguest left you in the freezer. I had to add too much water to get the immersion blender to work, and worst of all, the chalky cheese had a bitter aftertaste. Cheese can dry out, ugh. I will try it again–freshly grated cheese from a block has got to be better!

Woo-hoo, second try worked. It made a difference to use freshly grated cheese–my husband ate all 8 ounces, sad to say. :) I steamed broccoli and put it on the side and that made it healthier and, a bit less salty. So delicious! My immersion blender alas is too wea– food processor was necessary.

daniellemakers

kingtime

This is wonderful, thank you! I’ve been really gunking up everything I cook lately and this gave me my first success in recent memory. Plus it is delicious and inexpensive (except for the wine I bought to go with.)

Barbara Barnes

We’re made this for the first time tonight. Despite going a little overboard on the pepper (my husband thought it was the perfect amount), the dish turned out perfectly.

Georgia Harper

I have also failed and failed at cacio e pepe and will try this technique! But sharing a favourite fix here: If you make cacio e pepe in the most classic way using GNOCCHI instead of pasta you get a thick, creamy almost mac’n’cheese-y texture. I make this about once a month now and it’s the BEST!

Susan Peaco*ck

I just read your NYT piece (Never Cook At Home). You are so right! By which I mean, of course, that I agree with you. I cook for all the reasons that you do, plus one more: some days dinner is the only thing I did all day that I can point to.

Patty

I have leftover cheese paste. Can I freeze it?
This worked out great for me BTW. I forgot to save the pasta water so I just kept adding the cheese paste a little at a time until it was covering all the pasta. Yum!
Thanks for make this recipe so easy!

Cameron

So with all the tossing, the end result was perfectly sauced, but unfortunately was barely warm by the time we plated it. Any suggestions to keep the heat with how much tossing needs to happen?

Tiffany Gaumond

This recipe is terrible! Putting an immersion blender into a bowl of dry cheese (with one tablespoon of water) means cheese goes flying all over your kitchen. Please try these recipes before posting them.

Wow! I’m always on the lookout for a good pasta recipe . This looks delicious and it seems you did a lot of homework to get it right! I will definitely give it a try. Do you think it would work with whole wheat spaghetti?

Lisa

This was my first try and it turned out very nice! I have never had cacio e pepe. It is so simple and yet so tasty! Love this. Thank you for the foolproof method.

jessica

made this tonight for dinner with the mediterranean pepper salad. we ate it on the deck with white wine & it was perfect & so easy!

Ed Bouillon

a thought: the next time you cook pasta in boiling salted water, could you reserve some of the leftover water that would normally go down the drain or into your compost, and keep it either in the fridge for a few days, or longer by freezing it, and then using that water, once cold to blend with the cheese? Would that impair or enhance the flavor or consistency of the sauce?

Steph

Amy

Serena Raheja

Brittany

Christie

Wow, I can’t believe how easy this was! I followed the exact recipe. I recommend leaving the cheese out to get to room temperature before you start cooking. I didn’t have an immersion blender, and don’t think it’s necessary at all. I was able to get the paste by just using a whisk. I love that it all comes together in a bowl! When I would make it in a pan, it would make a mess on the stove from stirring the pasta so much. With the bowl, it’s so much easier to mix everything together without making a mess! The only con I have, is the pasta cooled quite a bit by the time I was done mixing the sauce. I really wanted to get it right though, so I took my time. Next time, it shouldn’t take me as long! I’m going to make it this way from now on. THANK YOU!

Helen

I know this is a subjective question but how many entree-sized servings would you say this makes?

Allison

This didn’t work as well as I expected. Ended up with a lot of cheese and pepper stuck to the bottom of the bowl. However, it was still delicious, with a little extra cheese and salt and pepper on top. My family ate it up, so that’s all that matters!

Janet

After watching the CNN Show “Searching for Italy with Stanley Tucci”, I was intrigued to make this. And this recipe did not disappoint!!!! We loved it! Thank you Deb. Also, strawberries are in here in Florida and I just finished baking the Strawberry Summer Cake for the second time in 2 weeks. Definitely a keeper!

thejeffhaman

Terry Edick

I actually figured this out accidentally … always an accident…. always perfect

Cathy

I have tried to make cacio e pepe many times and like you ended up with clumps of cheese. I’m definitely going to try your latest method and if it is anything like your other recipes it should be a smashing success. Thank you!!!

Molly

If I don’t have an immersion blender or a food processor, would a regular blender work? I tried finely grating it by hand and using a fork to blend to a cream cheese consistency and I still got the dreaded glop of cheese that sometimes happens with the normal method when I started stirring it in. I think I followed the recipe pretty closely otherwise, so I’m not sure where I went wrong!

Yamini

I tried this method last night and it was one the best cacio e pepe’s i’ve made at home! No more clumpy cheesy mess in the pan and on the tongs and none on the pasta! I also added in a bit of miso (an homage to Rose Cafe in Venice), which also added a nice dimension. Definitely the best way ever!

Erika

Deb – what do you call a person who can’t make a “foolproof” recipe turn out right?! I followed to the letter and ended up with a glob of peppery cheese surrounded by a tangle of noodles. I mean…it tastes good but where did I go wrong??

Teragram

Sorry but although I followed the directions the sauce pooled into a gloppy mess on the bottom of the bowl. It still tasted very good but had to scrape it off the bottom.

I make this all the time and my boyfriend LOVES it! I always have pecorino in my fridge cause it’s such a great recipe to make when you are almost out of groceries too.

Monica

I’ve never made this dish before today. Made this recipe for lunch and completely lost my mind! Absolutely amazing! Followed the recipe to the letter and it was absolutely perfect!

Mia

Celeste

I followed this recipe as closely as I could and ended up with a tasty gloopy mess. Looking at the other comments, it looks like I must have added too much pasta water and “washed” the sauce off the noodles. It’s sad because with all that cheese it’s an expensive mistake to make, but I will try again.

Kirsten

I was disappointed with this recipe. At first when I stirred in the cheese paste (loved the tip to both grate and blend it in a food processor), it looked like it would make a smooth sauce, but as I stirred and added some of the pasta water, the cheese got clumpy and even stuck to the edges of the bowl. So, some of the noodles had too much cheese and others barely any at all. My toddler loved it and ate a “mountain of noodles” as she said, but I was disappointed.

Thanks for awesome Recipe

DID NOT TURN OUT AT ALL…globs and globs of goop…NO WAY

Nicole

Just follow her directions.
I would like to share how I tried f’d it up trying to make it into a “main dish”. I added a bit of shredded precooked chicken and then added the cheese mixture and all the cheese stuck to the chicken and NONE to the noodles. Don’t do that. I made it a different time, followed the directions and it was super good.

Emily

Here I am in 2021, feeling a little uninspired in the kitchen and work and life in general. And then I came to this recipe and I’m feel restored. Thanks for all you do to revive us, Deb. I’m a long-time reader and never-commenter, and I don’t know why because I make your recipes all the time. You cracked the code here, as you always do.

Sara

Any recommendations for an easy side dish to serve with this?! Can’t wait, it looks delicious!

NB in Oregon

This was perfect & lovely. Added a generous pinch of lemon zest too.

Peter

Easy and by far, best ever! No lumps or glommed up cheese. Just creamy sauce. Had my doubts about immersion blending but worked as shown.

Susan

Jennee

This was damn good! Definitely the best I have ever made! What a gift.

Helen G

I believe that I followed the instructions fully, and cheese clumping wasn’t a problem, but the pasta cooled down way to a tepid temperature— even tho the mixing process was very brief and pasta came right from boiling water. Thoughts?

Lorie

Sad that it took me four years to find the recipe! I made it today along with some grilled chicken. – Amazing dinner!!! Thanks heaps for providing me a new obsession!

Jenn

This is genius! I have made this so many times and ended up with clumpy cheese! This is truly life changing! Thank you!!!

Carolyn

I have made this recipe like five times in the past two months since I discovered it here. It really works. Quick, simple, and really tasty. A lot of pepper and good-quality pasta really make the dish. Thank you it’s a keeper!

Aditi

Made this in the food processor. It was so fast and easy! Thank you for another great recipe!

Susan

I made this with friends the other night. It is indeed FOOLPROOF. We were watching Stanley Tucci’s Finding Italy, and one chef said for the perfect cacio e pepe to use 70% Pecorino Romano and 30% Parmesan. I put that ratio to work with this recipe and it was incredible. Thank you for unlocking the key to this dish!

Laurie

It worked! It worked! After so many failed attempts at cacio e pepe, I followed this technique exactly and it turned out perfect! Creamy, salty, peppery, so good!

Bev

I added some grated lemon peel, really enhanced already wonderful flavor.

Heather

THIS. Thank you! It worked perfectly, deliciously, and quickly for as a treat for my husband despite totally spacing out – actually tossing out – the pasta water, which I will repentantly include next time. Eye rolls made the family rounds…..but the whole family was happy. (When leftovers makes it into the packed-by-the-child-school-lunch the next day, it is a winner!)

Deborah

I made this last night and OMG, it was so incredibly delicous that I can’t stop thinking about it and might have to make it again tonight. The method (making a paste with cold water) worked perfectly. Every strand of pasta was coated in a creamy, rich sauce. I would have been super happy to be served this at a fancy Italian restaurant. It was THAT good. Thanks for the recipe, Deb!

Bridgit

We are coming fresh pasta, usually eat a lot more so we use 12 ounces of fairly finally chopped broccoli to make it more substantial. I made a batch and a half of the sauce, putting big chunks of cheese in the food processor. Fest, easy, and delicious. Thank you!

Jane

I’m looking for Italian recipes to get my family excited for our upcoming travels to Italy. Thanks for this; can’t wait to try it.

Jane

I always wondered what the big deal was about cacio e pepe, even when I made it at home…until now. Cheesy, saucy, peppery. I didn’t even use a food processor or immersion blender. 20 min later and a little more elbow grease-perfecto!

Shari

Thank you for posting your recipe. It was absolutely fool proof and I was FINALLY able to have a creamy, cheesy sauce without clumps. I am so grateful to you and your recipe. Smitten Kitchen for the win!!

Rebecca

Just a note to tell the world that Trader Joe’s has spaghetti alla chittara (the pasta Deb mentions is traditionally used for cacio e pepe) right now! I couldn’t believe it when I read the recipe note and just happened to have this niche pasta shape sitting in my pantry.

Liz

This was a fabulous find on a night that I was on my own (no kids, husband, or social plans – gasp!) and didn’t feel like ordering dinner. I halved the recipe but otherwise followed exactly and gobbled it all up with a salad – delicious! I love cacio e pepe but had not yet attempted it at home. And there are SO many variations in different cookbooks I have (many that I’m not sure why they even have the name). This was pretty much perfect, so not bad for a first attempt! The immersion blender was a bit tricky with the halved amount but it worked. I do think it’s just necessary to play around with the preferred amount of pepper – I was fairly aggressive and might try a bit less next time. And I can’t emphasize enough serving quickly! Mine got a little cold more quickly than I would have thought. The tiny bit left in the bowl (that of course I went back for) needed a few seconds in the microwave which helped immensely.

Katie

Your technique worked perfectly! Thanks so much. Watching your video gave me the confidence to try it, as I had never made it before and had read bad reviews of other recipes.

Pat Coyne

Deb! Long time fan of Smitten Kitchen. In Rome right now, and had some cacio e pepe on Day 2 of our trip. Not as good as I thought it would be. Remembered that you claimed to have a terrific recipe so went to read up on it. Saw the comment about restaurant Velavevodetto — and immediately made dinner reservations for dinner tonight. It was to die for! But what a funny sequence of events that took us to this restaurant, in Rome, at this time! Now I have to be brave enough to see if I can duplicate it when I get home!

Judith

We were recently at a really superb restaurant in Rome and they served their cacio e pepe with lime zest and langoustine. It was fantastic.