Easy Cacio e Pepe Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of pecorino in Cacio e Pepe? ›

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.

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.

Cheese– Aged Pecorino Romano is a MUST when making Cacio e Pepe. It is made from sheep's milk and has a strong and tangy flavor. I also use Parmesan cheese because I like the flavor of the two cheeses together. If you want to use ALL Pecorino Romano, you can, but personally I like the mix of both cheeses.

Similarly to Pecorino Romano, aged Parmesan cheese grates well and has a sharp, nutty flavor. However, due to different production methods, Parmesan is considerably less salty and tangy. When substituting Parmesan for Romano, use a 1:1 ratio. Just keep in mind that you may need to add additional salt to the recipe.

Asiago Cheese

This Italian cheese is also a good substitute for pecorino Romano, with a sharp and nutty flavor. A semi hard cheese with a more mild but similar flavor to Romano, Asiago is made from cow's milk and is one of my favorite cheeses of all time.

Pasta starch is key to creating a silky smooth Cacio e Pepe sauce. Indeed, while pasta cooks, it releases starch into the cooking water. This starchy water helps with melting the cheese, emulsifying the sauce, and binding the black pepper to the pasta.

But it is extremely hard to execute well because you need to control the heat. The cheese will become stringy if you heat up your pan too much (above 70 °C or 158 °F). I tested all the methods, so you do not need to! Cacio e Pepe is rare in restaurants because it is hard to serve warm without the corn starch trick.

True to its name, Cacio e Pepe is often referred to as the stripped-down mac and cheese of Italy. It exemplifies the use of simple, quality ingredients (cheese, butter, olive oil, salt and pasta) in perfect proportions and pan sauce precision to create something extraordinary.

If you've ever had the cheese clump up or stick to the pan when making cacio e pepe (very common, but always such a tragedy!), it was likely due to the cheese being overheated. Be absolutely sure that the burner is turned off below the sauté pan with the melted butter.

Spaghetti: Cacio e Pepe is traditionally made with some kind of long pasta (noodle); I like to use spaghetti but I've also seen it with bucatini, linguine, fettuccine, and even tagliatelle. You can use either dry or fresh pasta.

Which is healthier Parmesan or Pecorino Romano? ›

The origin of milk (sheeps) make Pecorino Romano richer in calcium than cheese mad from cow's milk. Also, sheep's milk is rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid and reduce the risks of diabetes, cancer, and health-compromising inflammation.

The aging period for Pecorino Romano is much shorter than Parmigiano-Reggiano at around five to eight months. Like Parmigiano, Romano is a hard cheese. But Pecorino Romano is white in color and has a slightly saltier and much stronger, more piquant flavor.

Because Parmesan is aged longer, it is harder, drier, and has more of a nutty, sweeter flavor profile; some long-aged Parmesans also have mellow caramel notes. Pecorino, which is younger, tends to be softer and creamier, and tastes brighter, grassier and tangier. It also has a pronounced saltiness.

1. Parmesan. Parmesan is very similar in style to pecorino but it's made from cows milk and had a saltier, more savoury flavour that is less acidic. Texturally they are the same so it's an easy substitute.

If substituting Pecorino for Parmesan, remember that Pecorino tends to taste saltier, so try using one-third less Pecorino to keep salt levels in line. 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.

Pecorino Romano has a stronger flavor than parmesan and should be used in traditional Roman foods like pasta all'amatriciana, carbonara and spaghetti cacio e pepe.

Using one-third less cheese was a good workaround. THE BOTTOM LINE: You can substitute Pecorino Romano for Parmesan, but use one-third less than the recipe calls for to keep the salt level and flavor in line.