Cacio e Pepe Mac and Cheese

a classic baked mac and cheese with lots of black pepper, parmesan, and pecorino

Feb 10, 2025

Hi! Hello. So glad you’re here. If you aren’t subscribed, but want to be (I would love to have you), check out the link below:

a Roman and American comfort food mash-up

To view the full version of this post visit the link: Cacio e Pepe Baked Mac and Cheese. And for more recipes like this be sure to check out the site at www.mosthungry.com

cacio e pepe baked mac

I love a good baked mac and cheese—it’s a total classic. Growing up, it was on the menu at least once a week, whether it was my grandmom’s mac and cheese served with fried fish fillets or Friday’s school lunch with plenty of stewed tomatoes on the side. It’s comforting, indulgent, and you will definitely be coming back for a second helping.

This version is a cacio e pepe baked mac and cheese, a mash-up of the beloved Roman pasta and classic American baked macaroni and cheese. Lots of toasted black pepper is stirred into an ultra-creamy Mornay sauce made with a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, plus Gruyère for that rich, nutty flavor. Then, the whole thing gets topped with crispy panko and baked to golden perfection. Yeah, it’s good.

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni or any other shape you like
8 tbsp butter - 1 stick
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper - lots
½ C flour
1 C heavy cream or whole milk
2 C half-and-half or whole milk
2 oz Parmesan cheese - grated
2 oz Pecorino Romano - grated
½ lb Gruyère - shredded
1 C Panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until very al dente. Reserve at 1 cup of pasta water before draining and set aside. (The rigatoni I used had a recommended cooking time of 14 minutes, I only cooked it for 8. It will finish cooking once it gets baked.)
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add a generous amount of fresh cracked black pepper and toast it for about 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.
Slowly whisk in the cream and half-and-half (or milk). Cook until the sauce thickens.
Turn off hear and stir in Parmesan, Pecorino, and Gruyère. Stir until fully melted and smooth. Taste for seasoning, and add salt if needed.
Add the cooked rigatoni to the cheese sauce. Stir to coat. Add ⅓ cup of reserved pasta water if needed. The sauce should be thick but still creamy—if it looks too thick or dry, add a little more pasta water.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Add the mac and cheese to a greased a baking dish. Top with panko breadcrumbs. (If you used milk instead of cream and half-and-half, add a few small dollops of butter on top to help the panko crisp up.)
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and some more fresh ground black pepper. Eat up!