Cacio e pepe (Italian: [ˈkaːtʃo e pˈpeːpe]) is a pasta dish typical of the Lazio region of Italy.[1][2] Cacio e pepe means 'cheese and pepper' in several central Italian dialects. The dish contains grated pecorino romano and black pepper with tonnarelli[3] or spaghetti.[2] The origins are believed to be that "Shepherds from the pastoral communities of Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany and Umbria created cacio e pepe in the 18th or 19th century".[4] All the ingredients keep well for a long time, which made the dish practical for shepherds without fixed abode. Rough-surfaced pasta is recommended to make the sauce adhere well.
![]() | |
Course | Primo (Italian pasta course) |
---|---|
Place of origin | Italy |
Region or state | Lazio |
Main ingredients | Tonnarelli or spaghetti, pecorino romano, black pepper |
Preparation
editThe pasta is prepared in boiling salted water as usual; it is then poured into the grated pecorino 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.[5]
See also
editMedia related to Cacio e pepe at Wikimedia Commons
References
edit- ^ "Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti". La Cucina Italiana. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ a b Boni (1930), p. 46
- ^ "Pasta cacio e pepe". Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ Jenn Harris. "What is cacio e pepe and how did it take over the world?". News Tribune.
- ^ "Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Ricetta Originale Romana" [Spaghetti cacio e pepe – the original Roman recipe]. The Foodellers (in Italian). Retrieved 17 October 2019. There is an English translation, but it lacks important tips on getting this deceptively simple dish right. Google Translate works well.
Bibliography
edit- Zanini De Vita, Oretta; Fant, Maureen B. (2013). Sauces & Shapes: Pasta the Italian Way. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-08243-2.
- Boni, Ada (1983) [1930]. La Cucina Romana (in Italian). Roma: Newton Compton Editori. ISBN 978-8854117815.