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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto

entrees· pizza & pasta· Valentine's Day
October 14, 2019

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Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto – This classic Italian pasta dish made with fresh ground pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese, is made “risotto-style” with short ditalini pasta so you can make a lot of servings at once. 

Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto topped with pepper and Romano cheese

I love pasta. I’ve always loved pasta. But my love went to a whole other level when I visited Eataly in Boston. It’s a food emporium geared to all-things Italian: gourmet cheeses, Nutella, gelato, pasta, olive oil. If it’s Italian, they have it.

We went to Eataly because I was disappointed in the Italian food we found in the Little Italy neighborhood of Boston. The pasta was blah and the olive oil was so bland that I’m convinced it was mostly vegetable oil. So I made a reservation to the pasta restaurant in Eataly for lunch the next day. I had heard great things about the restaurants there so it was my last hope for a great Italian meal during our Boston trip.

Oh. my. pasta. It was incredible! Not only was my pasta dish to die for, but I also had the best fresh mozzarella of my life. The food was so great that I had to go to Eataly again when I visited Chicago. They have a handful of locations throughout the US, none of which are anywhere near Atlanta so anytime I am near one, I have to go!

So what pasta dish did I have there during my first visit? I decided to try a traditional pasta dish that I’ve never had before but heard lots about, mostly because Chrissy Teigan raves about it: Cacio e pepe. Cacio e pepe is a very simple dish made from spaghetti cooked in a sauce of butter, olive oil, Pecorino Romano cheese, a little pasta water, and fresh cracked black pepper. The simple flavors in this dish come together to make quite an incredible combination.

Since then, cacio e pepe is one of my favorite dishes to make at home. It’s super easy to make in small portions but I was struggling to figure out how to make it for a crowd. And then it hit me…I’ll make it risotto-style by cooking it slowly in a large pan!

And here it is!

Pan of ditalini pasta cooking Plate of Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto topped with pepper and romano cheese Plate of Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto in front of the pan of Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto

How this pasta risotto is made

Ingredients

Risotto is a traditionally rice dish that is cooked slowly so it can absorb the chicken broth slowly and turn ultra creamy in the process. My idea for this cacio e pepe dish was to cook it the exact same way, but with pasta instead of rice. To make this happen, I had to use a short pasta. I chose ditalini because I love the hollow shape, but you can use any short pasta: macaroni, orzo, etc.

Now that you’ve got the pasta picked out, let’s talk about the other main ingredients.

The key flavors in cacio e pepe are olive oil, butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, and fresh cracked black pepper. We add the butter, olive oil, and half of the black pepper in the beginning so those flavors carry throughout the process. It’s important for the pepper to cook in the oil in the beginning so that the pepper flavor stands out once the risotto is complete. I went ahead and cooked the onions in the oil too since they need to soften up.

Cooking the onions and pepper together in oil

The Pecorino Romano cheese is added at the end of the process so that the flavor doesn’t cook out.

The process

Risotto is made by cooking rice very slowly so it can absorb liquid without turning mushy and instead becomes super luscious and creamy. This pasta risotto is made the exact same way.

First, you start by cooking the onions in the black pepper olive oil and butter. Then, you add in white wine to deglaze the pan. Once the wine has reduced by half, the pasta is added with 2 cups of broth. Once the pasta has absorbed all that liquid, you will add in the rest of the broth 1 cup of a time.

The pasta will begin absorbing the liquid slowly. It will take about 30 minutes for the pasta to absorb it all. But I promise you – the resulting dish will be so creamy and cheesy and worth every minute you spent cooking it.

Top view of a plate of Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto

Tips & Tricks

  1. Make sure you dice the onions as small as you can. It’s best to have the onions the same size or smaller than your pasta so that it doesn’t overpower each bite.
  2. The broth and the cheese have lots of salt so you probably won’t need to add much to this dish. Therefore, I advise that you wait until the end to season this dish to ensure it doesn’t taste too salty.
  3. I only used 5 cups of broth in my version because I didn’t want it too creamy. However, if you want that creaminess, use all 6 cups.
  4. Because there are only a few ingredients in this pasta dish, it is more important than ever to use the best ingredients. That means you must use fresh ground black pepper and the best extra virgin olive oil.
Print Recipe

Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto

This classic Italian pasta dish made with fresh ground pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese, is made "risotto-style" so you can make a lot of servings at once. 
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
  • 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
  • ⅔ cup chopped white onion
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 pound ditalini pasta
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for serving
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Add butter, olive oil, and one teaspoon of ground black pepper to a very large skillet or braising dish. You will be adding 1 pound of short pasta so make sure it all can fit. Place over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook until the onions have softened and start to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
  • Add wine to pan and bring to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add ditalini pasta and 2 cups of broth. Cook and stir occasionally until the liquid has been absorbed, about 6 minutes. Add another cup of broth and cook until broth is absorbed, another 6 minutes. Repeat until all the broth is absorbed by the pasta and the pasta is al dente. I used about 5 cups of broth because I didn't want a creamy consistency. If you do, use all 6 cups.
  • Turn off heat. Add Pecorino cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. Add remaining teaspoon of ground black pepper and salt, if needed. Serve immediately with a little more ground black pepper and Pecorino cheese.

Pin for later:

Cacio e Pepe Pasta Risotto photo collage

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24 Comments

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Comments

  1. Alyse says

    March 21, 2022 at 1:01 pm

    What could I sub for the white wine? Sounds yum!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 27, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      Chicken broth!

      Reply
  2. Tara says

    June 1, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    Just made this for lunch! So so good!

    Reply
  3. Natalie says

    October 21, 2019 at 3:23 pm

    This looks so delicious. And it’s super easy to make. Perfect combo for weekday family dinner. Can’t wait to make this.

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    October 21, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    I’ve only had cacio e pepe once and absolutely loved it! I’m so excited to be able to try the dish out myself now. Thanks for the recipe—it looks fantastic!

    Reply
  5. Paula Montenegro says

    October 20, 2019 at 5:50 pm

    I’m dying to try this pasta recipe! I am a huge fan of cacio e pepe and of risotto. This sounds like the best of both worlds! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  6. Aline says

    October 18, 2019 at 1:27 pm

    Nothing like a simple pasta recipe!! This was incredibly delicious and easy to make. This recipe is a keeper!!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      October 18, 2019 at 8:32 pm

      Yay! So glad you liked it Aline!

      Reply
  7. Danielle says

    October 18, 2019 at 4:58 am

    It’s been so long since I made a dish with ditalini pasta but every time I use it, it is so much fun! BTW, your overhead shots look amazing!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      October 18, 2019 at 8:32 pm

      Aw thanks so much, Danielle!

      Reply
  8. Rebecca Blackwell says

    October 18, 2019 at 12:31 am

    My stomach just literally rumbled while reading this recipe. I want to make this for an upcoming dinner party, but am not sure my grocery store has ditalini pasta. Do you have a suggestion for a substitution?

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      October 18, 2019 at 8:38 pm

      Great question! Orzo, macaroni, or mini shells would also work great.

      Reply
  9. Angela says

    October 16, 2019 at 9:39 am

    This looks so amazing! I know my entire family will LOVE this dish!!

    Reply
  10. Bellab says

    October 15, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    Yumm this looks so tasty!! I wish I could eat gluten and dairy.

    Reply
  11. Kelly Anthony says

    October 15, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    We went to New York a couple of summers ago and had cacio e pepe for the first time and have craved it ever since. I’m so excited to try your take on one of our most memorable plates of pasta ever.

    Reply
  12. Patricia says

    October 15, 2019 at 10:16 am

    Mmmm! This looks delicious!!!

    Reply
  13. Veena Azmanov says

    October 14, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    A happy meal with my family. I love it too.

    Reply
  14. Adriana says

    October 14, 2019 at 11:06 pm

    I am in love with the ease of making this recipe and the flavors. Have all the ingredients in my pantry making this tomorrow.

    Reply
  15. Veena Azmanov says

    October 14, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    Pasta is one of my favorite meal option and I love every recipe with it. Delicious, cheesy and yum.

    Reply
  16. Colleen says

    October 14, 2019 at 10:28 pm

    This looks delicious. I never would have thought to us a short pasta to make risotto. Definitely trying this one!

    Reply
  17. Sara says

    October 14, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    This looks lovely. I have never made risotto but your recipe is so easy to follow that I am certain I can do it! I Will be back to let you know how it went!

    Reply
  18. Sara Welch says

    October 14, 2019 at 9:08 pm

    This was such a delicious  dish; love all the perfectly balanced flavors! Can’t wait to make this again later this week!

    Reply
  19. Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome says

    October 14, 2019 at 5:43 pm

    This looks delicious! OMG, such a great idea to cook the pasta like risotto, I’ll have to try it

    Reply
  20. jenna | the urben life says

    October 14, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    OMG YUM! What a great recipe 🙂 I’m totally giving this a try soon. I love ditalini pasta

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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