Cacio e Pepe Pizza is as simple as the name suggests, a cheese and black pepper pizza. What a phenomenal combo! Pecorino cheese and black pepper, along with olive oil are the base flavors for this pizza recipe. We absolutely LOVE this pizza!
Pizza Recipes are BIG for us! And this Cacio e Pepe pizza is our newest addition, we’re so in LOVE with it! The simplest flavors brought together on a No Knead Pizza Dough is just one of life’s simples pleasures!
While you can totally make this pizza recipe on our no fail Pizza Dough Recipe, I find that the No Knead Pizza Dough suits better. The result is a more rustic pizza with an airy texture, and of course, it’s no knead so zero work! All you need is planning the day ahead.
I’ve shared some our most successful and crowd pleasing pizza recipes and tips (with videos) on this website, so you can browse them for inspo. Air Fryer Pizza is how we cook pizza from scratch in our air fryer with success every single time! While Air Fryer Pizza Rolls is our lazy version when we don’t have pizza dough ready.
Caprese Pizza and Burrata Pizza are what summer DREAMS are made of! Turkish Pizza is a family recipe that is way more than just pizza 🙂
Margherita Pizza – the one and only, the classic with all the TIPS you need. A no cook Pizza Sauce along with the perfect Pizza Dough Recipe are essentials!
Now for today’s pizza recipe, the dreamy combo of freshly cracked black pepper and salty Pecorino cheese will blow your mind!
How to Make Cacio e Pepe Pizza
Our favorite dough to pair is our Easy No Knead Bread. You can watch the video and read the whole article on the website for the best TIPS to make awesome pizza dough at home.
The only thing to note is to plan in advance. So go ahead and assemble the dough the night before, no kneading or fuss required. The day of, simple stretch the dough on a floured surface or parchment paper since it’s quite sticky.
Flatten the dough to your preferred thickness.
Spread a generous layer of olive oil, salt and freshly cracked pepper. We love Mina olive oil, a Moroccan traceable olive oil that’s single sourced and loaded with antioxidants.
To make our pizza extra cheese–this optional, we love a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.
Over that we add our hero –lots and lots of freshly grated Pecorino cheese and plenty of cracked black pepper.
The cacio e pepe pizza is now ready for the oven! You can use a Baking steel to cook your pizza, a regular baking sheet, an outdoor pizza oven, however you want. There are lots of tips on baking pizza in this Pizza Dough Recipe article.
PERFECT Cacio e Pepe Pizza right out of the oven! Look at the gorgeous specs of black pepepr, the simple cheese, the perfect crush and the tasty olive oil. It’s ready to dig in!
Cacio e Pepe Pizza Tips and FAQ
- Plan your dough in advance if using the No Knead Pizza Dough. Otherwise you may use the regular BEST Pizza Dough Recipe. As a last resort, you could totally opt for store bought pizza dough or your favorite pizzeria dough.
- Use quality olive oil to flavor your dough, we love MINA olive oil. Since this recipe relies on very few ingredients, make sure to use quality ones.
- A thin layer of mozzarella cheese is optional, but adds a cheesy stretch which our family LOVES. It’s completely optional if you’re not looking for that stretch.
- Use quality peppercorns and freshly cracked peppers for this recipe, avoid using pre-ground pepper.
- Bake on a baking steel, baking sheet, or in an outdoor pizza oven–it’s just as Perfect because the dough is the best!
Can I use Parmesan instead of Pecorino Romano cheese?
YES! While Pecorino is the classic choice for cacio e pepe pasta, today we’re making pizza. We tested a few cheeses and believe any hard, aged cheese works beautifully here. Even Asiago.
Which Pizza Dough do I use?
The million dollar question for every homemade pizza recipe! We LOVE the No Knead Pizza Dough for ease, convenience and for it’s rustic crust which pairs beautifully with our toppings.
What to Serve with Cacio e pepe?
Since the flavors are super simple here, the sky’s the limit! You can make this a meal and serve it along meats and chicken like a Ribeye Steak, Chicken Scallopini, Best NY Strip Steak, Chicken Caprese.
Or serve it along side a light salad like Wedge Salad, Panzanella Salad, Peach Burrata Salad, Caprese Salad.
Pizza Recipes
Cacio e Pepe Pizza
Cacio e Pepe Pizza is as simple as the name suggests, a cheese and black pepper pizza. What a phenomenal combo! Pecorino cheese and black pepper, along with olive oil are the base flavors for this pizza recipe. We absolutely LOVE this pizza!
Ingredients
- 1 batch no knead pizza dough use 1/3 of the dough
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin, we love MINA olive oil
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Pecorino Cheese grated
- 1/4 cup black peper freshly grated, coarsely grated
Instructions
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Make sure your pizza dough is ready ahead of time. We love the no knead pizza dough for this recipe. https://www.twopurplefigs.com/no-knead-overnight-pizza-dough/.
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Preheat your oven to 500 degreesF (or the highest setting you have).
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Place a baking steel or pizza stone in the oven to preheat as well.
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Flatten the dough to your desired thickness.
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Spread the olive oil over the crust generously.
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Add the mozzarella, which is optional for a thin layer of extra stretch to the pizza.
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Top that with the pecorino cheese and freshly cracked pepper.
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The pizza is ready to go into the oven.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes until the dough is puffy and crispy at the bottom. You may optionally broil the tops of the pizza for 2 minutes if you want those brunt spots on your dough.
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If using a pizza oven, cook the pizza for just 3-5 minutes and you'll achieve the perfect crust and burnt tops.
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Cut the pizza and enjoy right away!
Recipe Notes
Cacio e Pepe Pizza Tips and FAQ
- Plan your dough in advance if using the No Knead Pizza Dough. Otherwise you may use the regular BEST Pizza Dough Recipe. As a last resort, you could totally opt for store bought pizza dough or your favorite pizzeria dough.
- Use quality olive oil to flavor your dough, we love MINA olive oil. Since this recipe relies on very few ingredients, make sure to use quality ones.
- A thin layer of mozzarella cheese is optional, but adds a cheesy stretch which our family LOVES. It's completely optional if you're not looking for that stretch.
- Use quality peppercorns and freshly cracked peppers for this recipe, avoid using pre-ground pepper.
- Bake on a baking steel, baking sheet, or in an outdoor pizza oven--it's just as Perfect because the dough is the best!
Can I use Parmesan instead of Pecorino Romano cheese?
YES! While Pecorino is the classic choice for cacio e pepe pasta, today we're making pizza. We tested a few cheeses and believe any hard, aged cheese works beautifully here. Even Asiago.
Which Pizza Dough do I use?
The million dollar question for every homemade pizza recipe! We LOVE the No Knead Pizza Dough for ease, convenience and for it's rustic crust which pairs beautifully with our toppings.
What to Serve with Cacio e pepe?
Since the flavors are super simple here, the sky's the limit! You can make this a meal and serve it along meats and chicken like a Ribeye Steak, Chicken Scallopini, Best NY Strip Steak, Chicken Caprese.
Or serve it along side a light salad like Wedge Salad, Panzanella Salad, Peach Burrata Salad, Caprese Salad.
This was everything a gourmet pizza should be and then some! Turned out perfectly cheesy and packed with flavor; the perfect comfort food, indeed!
I love that you took my favorite pasta dish (cacio e pepe) and turned it into a pizza! This turned out great and was super satisfying!
This pizza was amazing! I love that it was made with minimal ingredients. It tasted like it was made from a very high end pizza spot. 10/10!!!!
A fun twist on pizza night! Love this combo of flavors!
Oh wow! I absolutely love the combination of Pecorino cheese and black pepper. It looks so good on this pizza, especially with that gorgeous crust.