In just 30 minutes and with only four ingredients, this Cacio e Pepe pizza brings the bold, simple flavors of Rome straight to your table. Inspired by the classic pasta dish and the dishes seen while traveling through Italy, this pizza transforms pecorino, parmesan, black pepper, and olive oil into a crisp, creamy flatbread without fuss.
What’s special about this Cacio e Pepe Pizza recipe
This recipe pairs the peppery, salty punch of cacio e pepe with the crisp base of a simple pizza. Using store-bought pizza dough and four core ingredients, you can make a restaurant-quality pie at home without specialty equipment. Serve with a green salad for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Notes on the main ingredients:
- Pecorino cheese: A sharp sheep’s milk cheese that adds savory depth. If you can’t find pecorino, good-quality parmesan will work.
Simple step-by-step instructions
About 20 minutes before you begin, preheat your oven to 500°F and place a baking sheet or pizza steel inside to heat. This ensures a hot surface that crisps the crust quickly.
Divide one ball of store-bought pizza dough in half and shape each piece into an 8–9″ round. Work on a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin or your hands to stretch the dough; use as little flour as needed.
Just before baking, evenly sprinkle the crushed ice over the dough’s surface. Carefully slide the dough onto the preheated pan or steel and bake.
While the crust bakes for 8–10 minutes—until the edges are golden—grate your pecorino and parmesan into a small bowl and mix with freshly ground black pepper. Keep the mixture near the oven so you can work quickly when the pizza comes out.
Remove the hot crust from the oven and immediately sprinkle about 3/4 cup of the cheese-and-pepper mixture over each pizza. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and, if desired, a light sprinkle of kosher salt.
How to make the pizza creamy like cacio e pepe pasta
The trick is timing and moisture. Adding the grated cheeses before baking will often leave them dry and separated. Sprinkling crushed ice on the dough before baking and applying the cheese right after the pizza leaves the oven creates steam and residual heat that help the cheeses soften and cling to the crust, producing a silky, cacio e pepe–like finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
If prepared pizza dough isn’t available, you can often buy dough from a local pizzeria, make a simple homemade dough, or use thawed frozen bread dough following package directions.
Kosher versions of these cheeses are available at specialty grocers or online retailers that carry kosher dairy products.
One more simple tip
Grate cheese fresh when possible. Pre-shredded cheeses often include anti-caking agents that can prevent proper melting. A microplane or fine grater gives the best results for a creamy finish.
If you enjoy Italian-inspired recipes, try other simple pasta and pizza dishes for quick, flavorful meals.
When you try this recipe, please leave a comment or rating to share how it turned out.
📖 Recipe
Cacio e Pepe Pizza (Just 4 ingredients)
10 mins
10 mins
20 mins
Equipment
- Sheet pan or pizza steel
Ingredients
- 1 ball store-bought pizza dough
- 1 ½ cup grated cheese (parmesan and pecorino, split as preferred)
- 1 TB freshly ground black pepper
- 1 TB olive oil (for finishing)
- 4 oz crushed ice
Instructions
- At least 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 500°F and place a baking sheet or pizza steel inside to heat.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into an 8–9″ round on a lightly floured surface.
- Just before baking, sprinkle crushed ice evenly across each dough round. Slide the dough onto the preheated pan or steel and bake.
- While the crusts bake (8–10 minutes), grate the pecorino and parmesan into a bowl and mix with the black pepper.
- When the crusts are golden at the edges, remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle about ¾ cup of the cheese-and-pepper mixture over each pizza. Drizzle with olive oil and, if desired, finish with a light sprinkle of kosher salt.
Notes
If pecorino isn’t available, use all parmesan. Freshly grated cheese melts best; pre-grated cheese can contain anti-caking agents that affect texture.
Nutrition
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