Cacio e pepe

Sunday, 1 February 2026 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, Bon appétit
Reading Time:  2 minutes

© Sarah Stierch/cc-by-4.0

© Sarah Stierch/cc-by-4.0

Cacio e pepe is a pasta dish typical of the Lazio region of Italy. The dish contains grated pecorino romano and black pepper with tonnarelli or spaghetti. A common story is that shepherds from the pastoral communities of Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany, and Umbria created cacio e pepe in the 18th or 19th century. It is likely that black pepper was added to the dish much later, as it was expensive and not readily available to shepherds at the time. Achieving a smooth and creamy texture during preparation requires special attention, as the cheese is prone to becoming lumpy.

Cacio e pepe means ‘cheese and pepper’ in several central Italian dialects.

© Der Zahir/cc-by-sa-4.0 © Sarah Stierch/cc-by-4.0 © flickr.com - T.Tseng/cc-by-2.0 © Andy Li © Popo le Chien/cc-by-sa-3.0
<
>
© flickr.com - T.Tseng/cc-by-2.0
The pasta is prepared in boiling salted water as usual; it is then poured into the grated pecorino romano mixed with black pepper, with a little of the hot, starchy, cooking water. The heat melts the cheese, and the starches in the water help bind the pepper and cheese to the pasta.

Despite the apparent simplicity of cacio e pepe, pecorino romano can very easily become lumpy, rather than smooth and creamy. The effect of temperature on cheese proteins and starch concentration has been studied by researchers, who have devised a scientifically reliable way to make the dish. Chefs have devised simpler ways to control the temperature without adding starch.

Read more on loveandlemons.com – Cacio e pepe and Wikipedia Cacio e pepe (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.



Isola di Capo Rizzuto in Calabria

Isola di Capo Rizzuto in Calabria

[caption id="attachment_249280" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Palazzo Barracco, the town hall © panoramio.com - Salvatore Migliari/cc-by-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Isola di Capo Rizzuto (Isolitano: Ìsula Capu Rizzutu) is a com...

Jizan in Saudi Arabia

Jizan in Saudi Arabia

[caption id="attachment_234498" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Jazan collage © AliAlghamdi12/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Jazan, also spelled Jizan, Gizan or Gazan, is a port city and the capital of Jizan Region, which li...

Pacific Palisades in California

Pacific Palisades in California

[caption id="attachment_246235" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Riviera Country Club - Golf Course © flickr.com - Dan Perry/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angele...

The Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands

[caption id="attachment_150858" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Grand Cayman - Goerge Town - Welcome to the Cayman Islands - Owen Roberts International Airport © Lhb1239[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Cayman Islands is a British Over...

The PalaisQuartier in Frankfurt

The PalaisQuartier in Frankfurt

[caption id="attachment_153887" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © palaisquartier.de[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Palais Quartier is a building complex in the Innenstadt district of Frankfurt. It was built from 2004 to 2011. The com...

San Diego in California

San Diego in California

[caption id="attachment_217334" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © ChetChang/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]San Diego (Spanish for 'Saint Didacus') is a city in the U.S. state of California on the coast of the Pacific Ocean a...

Allenby Street in Tel Aviv

Allenby Street in Tel Aviv

[caption id="attachment_237933" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Magen David Square © ???? ????[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Allenby Street (Hebrew: Rekhov Allenby) is a major street in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was named in honor of Field M...

Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík

Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík

[caption id="attachment_247596" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Ziko van Dijk/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Hallgrímskirkja (Church of Hallgrímur) is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. ...

Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College Dublin

[caption id="attachment_244731" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Parliament Square © David Kernan/cc-by-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Trinity College Dublin (Irish: Coláiste na Tríonóide, Bhaile Átha Cliath), officially titled Th...

Sunday roast

Sunday roast

[caption id="attachment_240896" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Sunday roast © flickr.com - Roderick Eime/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]A Sunday roast or roast dinner is a traditional meal of British origin. Although it can be...

Kiev on river Dnepr

Kiev on river Dnepr

[caption id="attachment_151301" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Ministry of Foreign Affair of Ukraine © Dmytro Sergiyenko/cc-by-sa-1.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Kiev is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the nor...

Isfahan in Iran

Isfahan in Iran

[caption id="attachment_28174" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Naghshe Jahan Square (Imam Square) © Arad Mojtahedi/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Isfahan is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 kilometr...

Return to TopReturn to Top