Course | Primo (Italian pasta course) |
---|---|
Place of origin | Italy |
Region or state | Lazio |
Main ingredients | Tonnarelli or spaghetti, pecorino romano, black pepper |
Cacio e pepe (Italian: [ˈkaːtʃo e pˈpeːpe]) is a pasta dish typical of the Lazio region of Italy.[1][2] Cacio e pepe means 'cheese and pepper' in several central Italian dialects. The dish contains grated pecorino romano and black pepper with tonnarelli[3] or spaghetti.[2] The origins are believed to be that "Shepherds from the pastoral communities of Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany and Umbria created cacio e pepe in the 18th or 19th century".[4] All the ingredients keep well for a long time, which made the dish practical for shepherds without fixed abode. Rough-surfaced pasta is recommended to make the sauce adhere well.[according to whom?]