Anyone who has ever visited Rome knows that while you’re there, you have to try their four most famous pasta dishes: Carbonara, Amatriciana, Pasta alla Gricia, and Cacio e Pepe. They’re all known for their inclusion of Pecorino Romano cheese, simple ingredients, and quick cooking times — and my favorite of the bunch was Cacio e Pepe.
It was so simple, yet so delicious. And every restaurant we went to seemed to do it perfectly. But throughout the years, my at-home attempts have proven unsuccessful. I’m always left with clumps of cheese in my sauce, dry noodles, and an almost “dusty” looking appearance from using too-fine pepper.
I will admit that I was mostly betting on luck with my last attempts. This time, I wanted to find all the best tips and tricks for a successful, simple dinner. So, I followed our recipe, which features some seriously good advice, to nail this Italian dish. Especially when the Americans are going for gold right now in Italy (I’m still mourning the “Quad God’s” free skate performance), I see no better time to show my support than through some cooking.
What Makes Our Cacio e Pepe So Amazing
I think I finally did it: I officially made restaurant-quality Cacio e Pepe right at home. This recipe helped me to make the creamy, delicious, and flavorful pasta dinner I’ve been dreaming of since my family’s trip to Rome four years ago.
Since all of my past attempts at Cacio e Pepe have proven unsuccessful, I honestly thought it was just a “hard” dish to prepare. But with all the tips from our recipe, it really wasn’t as difficult as I thought it’d be. I think working slowly and off the heat were the best pieces of advice I received!
The recipe was also so delicious. I don’t get how a dish that is really just composed of black pepper and cheese can taste so good, but it really does. The Pecorino Romano is sharp and salty, and it makes the dish taste so creamy, even when there’s not actually any butter or cream added. The toasted black pepper also brings deep, nutty flavors to the mix that are sprinkled throughout every bite. I’m so glad I followed the directions and actually used whole peppercorns because my previous attempts at just using black pepper obviously didn’t work well.
