Name: Cacio e Pepe Pizza
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: all-purpose flour and cornmeal; 2 pounds pizza dough; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 large cloves garlic; 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese; 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese; 0.667 cup whole milk ricotta cheese; black pepper; fresh basil

From the Cook

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Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Sunday Table Verified

Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Cacio e Pepe Pizza

all-purpose flour and cornmealfor dusting

2 pounds pizza doughhomemade or store-bought

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large cloves garlic

8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese

⅔ cup whole milk ricotta cheese

black pepperto taste

fresh basiloptional; for serving

Instructions

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Instructions

Place a pizza stove in the oven and preheat it to 500°F (or the highest temperature it will go). Generously dust a pizza peel with flour and cornmeal. Set aside.

Divid the pizza dough into 2 balls. Starting with 1 ball, use your fingers to press a 1/2'' rim around the ball for the crust. Then, gently stretch the dough, turning it about 45° after each stretch, until you have a thin 10-12'' circle with a slightly thicker crust. Place the stretched dough on the prepared pizza peel.

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave (or in a small saucepan on the stove). Add the minced garlic and stir to combine. Brush half of the garlic butter on the pizza dough, leaving a 1/2'' border for the crust.

Sprinkle 4 ounces of the mozzarella and 1 ounce of the Pecorino Romano over the garlic butter. Use a spoon to dollop 1/3 cup of ricotta cheese all over the top of the pizza. Generously sprinkle the pizza with freshly-ground black pepper.

Gently slide the pizza off of the peel and onto the heated pizza stone. Close the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, rotating it halfway, until the cheese is bubbly and bottom of the crust is crisp and has light char marks.

Carefully remove the pizza from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat the above process with the remaining ingredients to make two pizzas.

Sprinkle the finished pizzas with more Parmesan and black pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh basil if desired, slice, and enjoy!

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Toast Your Pepper First 🌶️
Bloom the black pepper in the garlic butter for 30-60 seconds before spreading on dough to unlock its aromatic oils and intensify the cacio e pepe flavor profile.
Dollop Ricotta Before Baking 🥄
Add small spoonfuls of ricotta directly onto the hot pizza immediately after removing from the oven so it melts gently and creates creamy pockets rather than cooking unevenly throughout baking.
Use a Pizza Steel for Crust Perfection 🔥
Preheat a pizza steel at high temperature and dust it with cornmeal to achieve a crispy, chewy crust that won't become soggy from the moisture-rich ricotta and cheese.
Grate Pecorino Romano Fresh 🧀
Microplane or hand-grate the Pecorino Romano just before using rather than pre-shredding, as fresh grating prevents clumping and ensures even distribution and faster melting across the pizza.
Finish with Basil and Pepper 🌿
Add fresh basil and a generous crack of cracked black pepper only after the pizza comes out of the oven to preserve the herb's delicate flavor and maintain the pepper's textural bite.