Cacio e Pepe Pizza is simple yet flavorful. Homemade pizza dough is drizzled with olive oil and topped with pecorino Romano, parmesan and freshly ground black pepper for a salty, cheesy and peppery pizza.

Originally cacio e pepe is pasta. Today it’s pizza!

Essentially, cacio e pepe means cheese with pepper. And that’s exactly what this is, just in pizza from.

Early summer I ordered a pizza stone without really knowing if I’d love it or not. My last experience with a pizza stone was as a teenager when I slipped a frozen pizza onto a (my Mom’s) hot pizza stone and it cracked in half. FYI I never slid a frozen anything onto a hot stone ever again. A lesson learned the hard way. (sorry mom!)

Needless to say, this time around I planned on making a fresh pizza. And the pizza stone yielded a evenly crisp bottomed pizza, leaving me totally impressed. Alternatively, you can use an inverted (dark is best) metal baking sheet. 

To Make Cacio e Pepe Pasta You Will Need:

• 1/2 of homemade pizza dough recipe
• olive oil
• pecorino romano cheese
• parmesan cheese
• coarse freshly ground black pepper
• fresh oregano leaves (optional, for garnish)

Prepare the dough as instructed. Once it has risen, press or “punch” it down to express all the air of the dough.

Next I divide the dough in half to make 2 medium size pizzas (I made 1 regular and 1 cacio e pepe), however you could totally make this into a large if desired, just double the toppings and know baking times may vary.

Place half of the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to roughly 12 inches.

Prick the middle of the dough with a fork and brush with olive oil.

Transfer to a lightly oiled pizza stone (or inverted metal baking pan). I also sprinkled the stone with a little cornmeal.

Sprinkle with parmesan, pecorino and freshly ground black pepper. I honestly don’t measure, but its about 2 to 3 tablespoons each.

Bake on the bottom rack of your preheated 450° for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Fresh out the oven sprinkle with more of the parmesan and pecorino about 1 tablespoon each – give or take. It will instantly melt into the hot pizza. 

Add a fine drizzle of good quality olive oil and I like to add extra black pepper and fresh oregano leaves.

This pizza is a great meatless option or as a delicious appetizer.

The crisp pizza dough melts into the salty cheese.

And the coarse black pepper adds a delicious spicy bite while the arugula gives a burst of herbaceous freshness. Serve with a light salad and crisp glass of white wine.

Enjoy! And if you give this Cacio e Pepe Pizza recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 1 medium pizza or 4 servings

Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Cacio e Pepe Pizza is simple yet flavorful. Homemade pizza dough is drizzled with olive oil and topped with pecorino Romano, parmesan and freshly ground black pepper for a salty, cheesy and peppery pizza.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 of prepared homemade pizza dough recipe (see notes)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese ( okay to eyeball it!)
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese (okay to eyeball it!)
• coarsely ground fresh black pepper
• oregano leaves, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Move and oven rack to the lowest position and preheat your oven to 450°.
2. Place half of the dough onto a lightly floured surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to roughly 12 inches.
3. Transfer the dough to the lightly oiled (I also lightly sprinkle it with cornmeal) stone or inverted sheet pan. Prick the middle of the dough with a fork and brush with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the parmesan and pecorino cheeses and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Bake in your preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
6. Fresh out the oven sprinkle with more of the parmesan and pecorino. It will instantly melt into the hot pizza.
7. Lastly add a fine drizzle of good quality olive oil and I like to add extra black pepper and fresh oregano leaves.

Notes

When I make this pizza, I divide the dough in half to make 2 medium size pizzas (1 regular and 1 cacio e pepe), however you could totally make this into a large if desired, just double the toppings and keep in mind bake times may vary.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

2 slices
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 197mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g

All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.