Stop Overthinking CACIO E PEPE | A Foolproof and Totally Traditional Recipe

Cacio e pepe (literally "cheese and pepper") is one of the simplest pasta dishes out there, yet one of the trickiest to master. Many cooks struggle to create a creamy sauce without thick clumps of stringy cheese, and much of the culinary internet space has devoted itself to finding "foolproof" methods for preparing it.

Many of these methods technically work, but they also tend to radically change the nature of the dish and/or overcomplicate this humble pasta. In this video, we hope to clear up some confusion and present a technique that is both foolproof, traditional and incredibly yummy at the same time.

It's time to end the Cacio e Pepe madness!

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00:00 - What is Cacio e Pepe?
01:09 - The "Problem" with Cacio e Pepe
01:57 - What Makes Italian Cacio e Pepe Different?
04:22 - The Right Pasta for Cacio e Pepe
05:37 - What Everyone Gets Wrong About Cacio e Pepe
09:12 - Eva's Foolproof Cacio e Pepe Method
09:54 - The Best Cheese for Cacio e Pepe
10:55 - How to Grate Cheese for Cacio e Pepe
11:48 - Toasting Pepper for Cacio e Pepe
13:07 - Which Pasta to Use for Cacio e Pepe
13:36 - How to Cook the Pepper Sauce for Cacio e Pepe
15:16 - Cacio e Pepe Trick: Let the Pasta Cool Down!
16:02 - How to Add Cheese Without Clumping
18:46 - Harper Makes Cacio e Pepe
21:56 - Eva Tries Harper's First Cacio e Pepe
23:27 - Let's Put the Cacio e Pepe Obsession to Bed
24:03 - Pasta Grammarian in Action!

#cacioepepe #recipe #foolproof

[PastaGrammar]

Have you ever tried to make Cacio e Pepe? How did it go?

[mhermarckarakouzian]

Another “secret” tip I discovered (and that I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere online) is that the foamy part of the pasta water contains the most flour/starch. Always when you boil anything, the “impurities” (in this case, just the starch) rises to the top and gets collected in the bubbles. So if you grab pasta water with as much foam as you can, the starch in it will help with the emulsification.

[vincenzosplate]

Its crazy how a pasta dish with 3 ingredients could be the most difficult italian recipe ever

[SEric]

This young woman is so full of ancient Italian wisdom. I love this channel.

[stafffighter]

Brava!!! I have been making Cadio e Pepe for years. The grandkids know it as Italian Mac & Cheese. I am happy to say I make it exactly the same way as Eva. My wife loves it. NO olive oil, Xantham gum, corn starch - OY. And yes using the proper grater and cheese is very important. Well done guys.

[shaimach]

Note she used a (comparatively) small amount of water. The reason is that you want the starch from the pasta water as the emulsifying agent. So if you cook the pasta it in less water, you get more starch in each ladle.

[RobertWinter-zh]

Just for giggles made this today (first time having Cacio e Pepe), following the instruction exactly and was extremely amazed just how transformed by how simple this disj really is and how elevated the taste was. For anyone that would think that "wow, that's a lot of pepper", by heating the pepper and infusing the sauce this way, just give the entire bite a unique flavor. For those that worry that the pasta will cool too much, the pepper takes care of that. The cheese melted perfectly and made such a creamy sauce. Aglio e Olio used to be my quick go-to, but changed with this dish. Thanks.

[paulawiid]

I've also had the clumping issue and, surprise surprise, I was adding all the cheese to the super hot pasta, thinking it needed to be super hot to melt the cheese... 🤦 I will be giving this method a try. Thanks so much Eva and Harper!

[peabody]

These three different dishes have one thing in common: the right heat to get an emulsion of X and cheesy pasta water to keep the cheese from clumping:

- cacio e pepe (cheese, and pasta water)
- fettuccine al burro (butter, cheese, and pasta water)
- spaghetti alla carbonara (guanciale fat, egg yolk, cheese, and pasta water)

Eva is great with showing the technique and I love that all three just take patience, even if the ingredients (in the US) may not want to cooperate all the time. Thank you both!

[davekreation]

I would also mention to use freshly grated cheese. Using cheese that's been shredded and refrigerated will also create clumping problems.

[jelsner]

Totally makes sense without any gimmicks. Thanks for this.

[AllstarTiger]

Cacio E Pepe has become my daughter favourite dish, she love how simple it is and tasty. The way we have been getting rid of the clumps. has been putting the cheese into a bowl and as the pasta cooks, I add a small amount of pasta water at time and mix it well and at the end slowly adding into the pasta mixing and tossing. Works pretty well

[tedostrem]

Your wrap-up was spot-on: this IS the only Cacio e Pepe recipe you will need. And for Harper to do so well with his first try just shows that Eva is as good a teacher as she is an Italian cook. You explained everything so well and answered all of the "why's?" in your viewers' minds, that you left us all with the confidence that we could do it, too. And Harper then proved it. Thanks!

[DanWhyte]

People don't realize that the starch from the pasta is the binder and that is why you don't need xanthem gum or cornstarch.

[anitaherbert]

You remain one of my favourite food content providers. Entertaining warm and easy to understand and follow.

[ocudagledam]

I know it's not the point of the video, but I have to say it: Eva's hair is divine!

[matteframe]

I love these 'reaction' type videos... It's good to see a critique of other peoples' styles (which are all valid in their own way)... and it gives a great context for the recipe or technique...

[galgano]

Te meriti la cittadinanza onoraria de Roma co 'sta cacio e pepe! Tanti non sanno che dopo averla "ripassata" in padella con il pepe deve riposare sennò, se ci metti il pecorino quando è troppo calda... fila come 'na sottiletta! Diversamente, si può preparare prima il condimento con il pepe ed il pecorino e l'acqua di cottura, poi si butta la pasta nella padella e si "manteca" a fuoco spento.

[At-]

Literally, the best episode evah! Something that should be simple turns out to be... simple. Good quality ingredients and the knowledge to use them correctly.😉

[jimcoughlin]

I think "clumpsy" is an excellent description of my cacio e pepe!!!!