Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Name: Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces rigatoni noodles (save cooking water); 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted); 1 cup Romano cheese (or parmesan, plus extra for garnish); 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

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This rigatoni cacio e pepe recipe features cooked pasta tossed in a creamy parmesan or Romano cheese sauce with pepper. With just 4 ingredients and ready in 15 minutes, level up your pasta night with this favorite dish!

The creamy sauce is made by sautéing butter, parmesan cheese, black pepper, and adding in some of the pasta cooking water to thicken the sauce without using cream. You can add in your favorite herbs to finish this dish – and top it off with extra parmesan cheese for a kick.

Want more creamy pasta recipes? Try our white wine pasta with garlic and herbs, gorgonzola gnocchi with spinach, and our baked goat cheese pasta!

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Table of Contents

This delicious rigatoni cacio e pepe is a fantastic and easy dinner, ready in about 20 minutes. It’s loaded with flavor and turned out so good – definitely a new favorite way to enjoy pasta night. Cacio e pepe translates to cheese and pepper – which is a simple cheese sauce to toss with freshly cooked noodles.

This is not your average pasta and cheese dish! Cacio e Pepe is a traditional Roman dish, and is a simple and easy way to prepare a cheesy sauce by only using a few simple ingredients. You have a restaurant quality pasta, with only 4 ingredients, in no time.

This Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe Recipe Is

Creamy
Simple
Easy to Make
Comforting
Satisfying
Vegetarian

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Simple Pastas

This rigatoni cacio e pepe pasta is the tastiest, coziest dinner recipe. Pasta is always a quick and hearty meal for the family, especially when it’s has a gooey creamy sauce like this one. Totally irresistible.

It makes a great holiday pasta dish as well – a simple vegetarian recipe to serve with a salad. It takes only 20 minutes to cook, so you can enjoy extra time to prep sides or a salad. Browse all our pasta recipes here!

What’s In This Creamy Rigatoni with Parmesan or Romano?

ingredients for cacio e pepe with rigatoni noodles, black pepper, romano cheese, and butter.

Rigatoni Noodles– I absolutely love the thick texture of rigatoni pasta. It’s great for creamy sauces, or tomato-based sauces too.
Pecarino Romano or Parmesan Cheese – gives extra flavor and richness to this dish. If you can’t find Romano cheese, you can use a sharp real cheese parmesan, or a vegan version, adding a little extra into the sauce (and for garnish) this sauce will highlight whichever cheese you use so make sure you use a good one.
Butter – I like to use unsalted butter to reduce the amount of sodium in my cooking.
Fresh cracked black pepper

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

How To Make This Recipe

cooked rigatoni noodles in a bowl ready for sauce.

Step 1: Cook rigatoni according to package instructions. Once finished cooking, remove from heat and leave in the cooking water for a few minutes (save the water, as it will be used to thicken the sauce).

add butter to a pan and melt into a sauce.

Step 2: In a pan, add the butter over low heat until melted.

adding cooked rigatoni pasta noodles in a pan with melted butter.

Step 3: Using a slotted spoon, drain the rigatoni and add into the pan with the butter. Toss well to combine.

rigatoni pasta with romaro and parmesan cheese with pasta cooking water being poured into the pot.

Step 4: Pour 2/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the pan. Add the parmesan cheese. Stir well, the sauce will thicken as it cooks. If sauce is too thick, add an additional 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water at a time to thin out the sauce.

black pepper adding to rigatoni cacio e pepe sauce.

Step 5: Once sauce has reached the desired thickness, add in the black pepper.

thick and creamy parmesan and romano cheese sauce tossed with ritagoni noodles.

Step 6: Serve the rigatoni hot, topping with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh cracked black pepper.

Recipe FAQs and Tips

What is cacio e pepe sauce made of?

“Cacio e pepe” means cheese and pepper – the sauce is made with Pecarino Romano cheese (or parmesan cheese) and black pepper. The sauce also includen melted butter and a little of the pasta cooking water for a creamier sauce.

Can I use parmesan instead of pecarino romano cheese in cacio e pepe?

Yes – you can use parmesan cheese or a parmesan/romano cheese blend instead of straight Pecarino Romano cheese. It may have a milder flavor than the classic cacio e pepe sauce, however parmesan makes a great substitute in a pinch.

What does cacio e pepe taste like?

This simple creamy cheese and pepper pasta sauce is similar to an alfredo, but sharper from the cheese. It’s a simple rustic pasta, thickened by the pasta cooking water instead of milk or cream.

Expert Tips

For a thinner sauce, you can more pasta cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
Add in protein or sauteed vegetables for extra flavor. Wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms, or roasted red peppers would be great additions.

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More Creamy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!

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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe

By Kelly Jensen

This rigatoni cacio e pepe recipe features cooked pasta tossed in a creamy parmesan or Romano cheese sauce with pepper. Level up your pasta night with this 20-minute dinner that is easy enough for a weeknight meal, but fancy enough to enjoy on a special occasion.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 3

Cook Time 12

Total Time 15

Course Dinner, Pasta

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings servings

Calories 406 kcal

Equipment

▢
Large Pot
▢
Ladle

Ingredients

▢ 8 ounces rigatoni noodles save cooking water
▢ 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
▢ 1 cup Romano cheese or parmesan, plus extra for garnish
▢ 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

Cook rigatoni according to package instructions. Once finished cooking, remove from heat and leave in the cooking water for a few minutes (save the water, as it will be used to thicken the sauce).
In a pan, add the butter over low heat until melted. Using a slotted spoon, drain the rigatoni and add into the pan with the butter. Toss well to combine.
Pour 2/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the pan. Add the parmesan cheese. Stir well, the sauce will thicken as it cooks. If sauce is too thick, add an additional 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water at a time to thin out the sauce.
Once sauce has reached the desired thickness, add in the black pepper. Serve the rigatoni hot, topping with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh cracked black pepper.

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