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!
What Is Cacio e Pepe Pizza?
Cacio e pepe pizza is a white pizza inspired by the iconic Roman pasta dish Cacio e pepe, traditionally made with Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
The pizza version transforms those two elements into a crisp, cheesy, peppery white pizza, no tomato sauce. Its roots trace to Rome, where simplicity defines flavor.
Why You’ll Love Cacio e Pepe Pizza
- It’s bold without being heavy
- There’s no tomato sauce weighing it down.
- It’s sharp, salty, aromatic but clean.
- It feels elevated without extra ingredients, just two primary ingredients. That’s it.
- It tastes restaurant level because balance matters more than quantity.
- It’s a perfect choice for white pizza lovers
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 on a lightly floured surface.
- Spread a generous layer of olive oil, salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- To make our pizza extra cheese, we love a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Grate your cheeses in separate bowls.
- 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 crust and the final drizzle of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt if you need to and it’s ready to dig in!
- Slice and enjoy!
Cacio e Pepe Pizza Pro Tips
- 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 flour rather than cornmeal as a preference for stretching the douhg.
- You can bake the pizza with ice cubes in the oven for a super crisp crust.
- 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!
The Cheese Science
- Pecorino Romano (Essential). It’s a sheep’s milk, with a sharp and salty flavor, and traditionally Roman.
- Mozzarella (Structural Support). Helps with the melting consistency, prevents dryness and softens salt intensity.
Why Most Recipes Fail
Pecorino is lower moisture and higher salt than mozzarella. If used exclusively without mozzarella, at high heat, it can separate and release oil if layered too thick. The best balance is 70% Pecorino with 30% mozzarella for home ovens.
Black Pepper Technique (The Game Changer)
- The Bloom Method: Lightly toast cracked pepper in a dry pan (30–60 seconds).
- Use half before baking and finish with fresh cracked pepper after baking.
Why it matters? Because raw pepper has a sharp bite while bloomed pepper is warm and aromatic.
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. Our homemade pizza dough works just as well!
Is It Spicy?
The cacio e pepe pizza is peppery, so it’s more aromatic, and not chili spicy.
Why It Can Taste Too Salty
- Too much Pecorino
- Pre grated cheese (anti caking agents that are added to pre grated cheese affect melt)
- No mozzarella buffer
- Salt heavy dough
- Overbaking
Variations for Cacio e Pepe Pizza
- Lemon Zest Finish. Brightens richness.
- Cacio e Pepe Flatbread. Faster, weeknight option.
- Burrata Topped Version. Modern, not traditional but creamier!
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
- Birria Pizza
- Air Fryer Pizza
- Caprese Pizza
- Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Turkish Pizza
- Margherita Pizza
- Pizza Sauce
- Mushroom Pizza
- No Knead Pizza Dough
- Pizza Dough Recipe
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
-
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 Video
Recipe Notes
Cacio e Pepe Pizza Pro Tips
- 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 flour rather than cornmeal as a preference for stretching the douhg.
- You can bake the pizza with ice cubes in the oven for a super crisp crust.
- 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!
The Cheese Science
- Pecorino Romano (Essential). It's a sheep’s milk, with a sharp and salty flavor, and traditionally Roman.
- Mozzarella (Structural Support). Helps with the melting consistency, prevents dryness and softens salt intensity.
Why Most Recipes Fail
Pecorino is lower moisture and higher salt than mozzarella. If used exclusively without mozzarella, at high heat, it can separate and release oil if layered too thick. The best balance is 70% Pecorino with 30% mozzarella for home ovens.
Black Pepper Technique (The Game Changer)
- The Bloom Method: Lightly toast cracked pepper in a dry pan (30–60 seconds).
- Use half before baking and finish with fresh cracked pepper after baking.
Why it matters? Because raw pepper has a sharp bite while bloomed pepper is warm and aromatic.
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. Our homemade pizza dough works just as well!
Is It Spicy?
The cacio e pepe pizza is peppery, so it's more aromatic, and not chili spicy.
Why It Can Taste Too Salty
- Too much Pecorino
- Pre grated cheese (anti caking agents that are added to pre grated cheese affect melt)
- No mozzarella buffer
- Salt heavy dough
- Overbaking
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.