Name: One Pot Cacio e Pepe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 24 min
Ingredients: 12 oz pot sized linguine; 3/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese; 1/2 tsp kosher salt (more or less to taste); 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper (more or less to taste); 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 32 oz low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

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Today’s recipe is a combination of one of our favorite pastas with our favorite cooking method — a super simple, yet delicious One Pot Cacio e Pepe! We love one pot pasta for its simplicity and elevated flavor, and we’re big fans of cacio e pepe.

This is a quick one pot meal that is so easy to make you’ll be left wondering why you never tried it before!

a fork twirling a bite of cacio e pepe in a bowl of pasta topped with Parmesan flakes

What does “cacio e pepe” mean

“Cacio e pepe” is a popular pasta dish from Rome, Italy. In several central Italian dialects, the phrase means “cheese and pepper,” which is what this pasta consists of! We use ¾ cup of parmesan cheese and a lot of black pepper, and the result is a super tasty, cheesy pasta dish.

The flavor of cacio e pepe is really special. It’s a simple recipe that has a sharp and slightly spicy flavor. It’s creamy and cheesy and oh so delectable.

What is one pot pasta

If you’ve followed us for a while, you’ll know we love one pot pasta! That’s because it’s cuts back on cooking (and cleaning) time, is a generally easier way to cook pasta and it dials up the flavor. Since we cook everything in one pot, you only have one dish to clean aside from the plates you have eaten on!

But that’s not the only benefit to one pot pasta! We love it, too, because we cook the pasta in broth instead of boiling water, which means all that extra flavor really seeps into the pasta noodles. The linguine soaks in the broth, the pepper, and the parmesan flavor. If you were to just cook the linguine noodles in salted water, you would be missing out on all of that deliciousness!

tongs grabbing a helping of one pot cacio e pepe

Why we love One Pot Cacio e Pepe

Like we said above, this is a great meal because the pasta is cooked in broth, making it extra flavorful. That’s super helpful for this recipe, because of the simplicity of the other ingredients we use. We definitely love the tangle of tastes that the cheese, pepper, and butter bring to the pasta, but it is pretty simple on the palate. So adding the broth to cook the pasta in makes it even richer!

How to make One Pot Cacio e Pepe

In a large pot, on medium-high heat, add uncooked pasta, salt, and broth.
Bring broth to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the linguine is al-dente.
Add butter and grated cheese, stirring until both are melted.
Grind in a generous amount of black pepper, then stir together.
Serve, garnishing with shaved parmesan, and enjoy!

What to pair with this One Pot Cacio e Pepe

Marry Me Chicken is one of our top recipes. The flavor is out of this world, and it would pair so well with this simple pasta dish!
Our Whipped Feta Baked Chicken is just as rich as marry me chicken, but low carb! It’s a great compliment to this peppery linguine.
If you’re going for an Italian themed dinner, then pair this creamy pasta with our Bruschetta Baked Chicken!
Calling all seafood lovers! Cacio e Pepe and Baked Shrimp Scampi are a match made in heaven. These two dishes perfectly compliment each other.
For a lighter side kick, try our Green Goddess Salad. The dressing is refreshing, and the salad is super simple!