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    Home » Good Eats Reloaded » Alton Brown's Cacio e Pepe Recipe Review

    Alton Brown's Cacio e Pepe Recipe Review

    Published: Jan 9, 2019 · Modified: Jan 21, 2023 by Eric Samuelson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A review of Alton Brown's Cacio e Pepe recipe from Good Eats Reloaded.

    Alton Brown's Cacio e Pepe recipe made on a flat with a towel underneath

    This post includes affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track the affiliate links you click.

    Before I start this post, can you hold on for one second?

    (proceeds to run around the house screaming and yelling)

    Guys I am pumped. Good Eats is BACK! Well it's more reloaded than it is back. Alton Brown has updated some of his past shows, before he embarks on new culinary trails.

    In the early days of this blog, I would review the new recipes he would release on Good Eats. I am excited to have the change to bring back those types of posts for the Reloaded series.

    Jump to:
    • ❓ Why Recipe Review?
    • 🍜 Pantry Raid I - Use Your Noodle - The Reload
    • 🗒️ Recipe Notes
    • 🤏 Picking Peppercorns
    • ⭐ Recipe Review
    • 🍝 Fresh Pasta
    • Alton Brown's Cacio e Pepe

    ❓ Why Recipe Review?

    Why I like to review recipes as oppose to just writing my own is that I like to share recipes that not only brought me good food but also taught me something that I use it other recipes down the road. The recipe I am talking about today is no different. 

    A collage featuring the ingredient used, the pasta in the pan, a measuring cup with the pasta water inside, and the finished dish on a black plate

    🍜 Pantry Raid I - Use Your Noodle - The Reload

    The 2nd episode of Good Eats Reloaded that aired was Pantry Raid I - Use Your Noodle - The Reload. In the original episode I was introduced to bronze dies and have been buying pasts made with them every since.

    In the Reloaded version, Alton has changed his tune about pasta. He always said pasta needed to be cooked in a gallon of water. But he has to come to learn and except that you can cook it in in far less.

    And sometimes that has huge advantages.

    One example - Cacio e Pepe - a dish that contains just cheese, oil, and pepper. The key to it's deliciousness is cooking the pasta in very little water and then using that very starchy water to create a creamy sauce that doesn't contain any actual cream.

    Pasta covered in water on in a wide pan on the stove top

    🗒️ Recipe Notes

    Here are my observations from making this dish.

    1.  I have to admit after years of cooking pasta in copious amounts of water it was very strange to only cover my pasta with enough water to cover it. Just as it was equally strange starting my pasta in cold water. 
    2. A mistake I made the first time was not covering the pan as it came to a boil. I lost too much water to evaporation getting to a boil that i need to add more water later. I won't make this mistake again. 
    3. It may seem like when you are adding the pasta to the cheese and water that it will never come together. Just keep working it and working it and working it and at one point it all of sudden became a sauce. Like Alton said it was like magic. 
    4. The recipe called for grating your own Pecorino Romano. I would normally be all for that. When I went to buy the cheese at a Kroger store, it was significantly more expensive to buy it whole than some already grated. This Kroger does have a Murray's cheese counter, so their grated cheese are actually fresher and high quality than others, so in this case I decided to save the money. 
    Burlap & Barrel Fermented white pepper and purple peppercorns in glass containers with a grinder top

    🤏 Picking Peppercorns

    This dish is truly all about the pepper. You want to use the best you can find. For that I turn to Burlap & Barrel - a single origin spice company that sources spices from small farms all over the world.

    Last time I made Cacio e Pepe, I used a 50/50 combo of their purple peppercorns and white fermented pepper. The purple added a fruity, spicy kick, while the fermented white add a umami flavor.. They make for a great team!

    I have also used red peppecorns. Not pink peppercorns that you find everywhere. Red peppercorns are hard to find. They are the fully ripened fruit that has been allowed to dry. Their flavor is more pronounced, sweeter, with a bright floral taste and all the bite. Read more about them and other peppercorn types.

    RELATED - Read the Best Ingredients for Cacio e Pepe

    ⭐ Recipe Review

    What a darling dish. Very simple ingredients yet big flavor. You got the cheese flavor, but it's not like eating mac & cheese.

    The pepper Alton calls for though is pretty intense. The dish was super spicy. With a name like Cacio e Pepe it should be spicy, but I think a lot of people would be turned off with the amount of pepper used. It was too overwhelming for my wife.

    What I recommend is staring with half the pepper he calls for, and see how you like it. In the recipe that I re-wrote below you will find me saying to use 1 tablespoon of pepper. he calls for 2, plus another ¾ teaspoon when served. 

    As I mentioned I made mine with all sorts of different peppercorns, but I expect most people to turn to the easy to find black peppercorns.

    What I don't want you to ever do is used pre-ground black pepper. Just don't do it. You will be missing the key flavor that makes this dish if you do that. 

    Overall this is a great dish that can be thrown together in not too much time for a quick dinner. I definitely want to be a part of our regular rotation. 

    🍝 Fresh Pasta

    I had someone ask about whether you could make this using fresh pasta. A lot more grocer stores are offering that nowadays, especially Whole Foods Market. Would it work though? I still need to test it myself. Fresh pasta doesn't take as long to look, so the question for me is would there be enough time for starch to be released into the water.

    If anyone has try with fresh pasta, leave a comment below to share your experience.

    Alton Brown's Cacio e Pepe

    A simple pasta dish made with starchy pasta water, cheese, oil, and lots of pepper. The recipe was created by Alton Brown. I did cut the peeper in half because my wife and I thought it was pretty strong and I read reviews online saying the same.  I have written the instructions in my own words. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Servings: 4 people
    Author: Alton Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound spaghetti
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon freshly ground peppercorns
    • 3 ½ ounces Pecorino-Romano cheese
    • 1 ½ ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¾ - 1 cup starchy pasta water

    Instructions

    • Combine pasta and salt in a high sided saute pan.
    • Add enough cold water to cover the pasta. Cover the pan if you have a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat.
    • When water reaches a boil, remove the lid and stir with a pair of tongs.
    • Decrease the heat to medium.  Make sure the pasta remains submerged. Only add more water if the pan looks dry. 
    • While pasta is cooking, in a large mixing bowl combine the pepper, olive oil, and both cheeses. You can save a little bit of these cheese if you want for topping of the pasta at the end. 
    • Combine the ingredients until they form a thick paste and set aside. 
    • After 5 minutes of simmering, ladle a cup of the water into a measuring cup. 
    • Start with a ¾ cup and slowly drizzle the bowl with the cheese. Combine until smooth. If too clumbly you can add more of the water. 
    • At about the 10 minute mark, the pasta should be al dente. Check frequently for doneness. 
    • Using tongs, remove the pasta from the pan, allowing it to drain in midair for a few seconds before adding it to the mixing bowl. 
    • Stir vigorously with the tongs for 2 minutes. It may look like it's not going to come together, but give it time and a lot of force. If it's still too clumby add more cooking water. 
    • Serving pipping hot!

    Notes

    The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of salt. I have had people say they thought the dish was too salty, so I am recommending cutting that in half and starting with 1 tablespoon. You can add more if you like. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @eatlikenooneelse or tag #eatlikenooneelse
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. marglover

      October 21, 2019 at 4:54 pm

      Eric, please update step 5 to say pepper, olive oil, and both cheeses. The olive oil is missing from that step.

    2. Eric Samuelson

      October 21, 2019 at 8:15 pm

      Thank you for sharing that with me. I just made the change.

    3. Claire Frasier

      October 26, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      I made this recipe... Followed it EXACTLY.... and it was too salty! My husband couldn't even eat it! I don't understand what went wrong. Kosher salt, correct amount of cheese.. Any ideas?????

    4. Eric Samuelson

      October 28, 2019 at 7:30 pm

      The reviews of this recipe on Food Network's website have said the same thing. Thanks for letting me know it was too salty for your tastes. I will cut the salt in the ingredients list on my site. Thanks.

    5. Lisa

      November 14, 2019 at 11:08 am

      Does the pasta get cold with all of the stirring of ingredients at the end? Could this be done in a pan over low heat?

    6. Eric Samuelson

      November 14, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      I haven't had any problems with the pasta getting too cold from all of the stirring. You certainly could do as you say and give that a try.

    7. Caroline

      August 08, 2020 at 7:54 am

      Various salts have different "saltiness" even if both are kosher salts. Morton's is saltier and I find less forgiving than Diamond Crystal.

      Thank you for your review. I may try to make it with fresh pasta this fall or sooner if I get a pasta craving.

    8. Eric Samuelson

      August 11, 2020 at 11:50 am

      You are definitely right on the different "saltiness" of salt. I try not to buy Morton Kosher as I find the texture and flavor of Diamond Crystal to be a lot better.

      I bet it would be amazing with fresh pasta.

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