Orzo Cacio e Pepe (Only 3 Ingredients)

5 from 1 vote

Orzo cacio e pepe is a beloved and delicious Italian comfort dish that is so easy to make at home. It's a perfect meatless Monday recipe!

Prep Time5

Cook Time12

Total Time17

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 359kcal

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water heats up, grate the chunk of Pecorino Romano with a cheese grater. Set that aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, add the freshly ground pepper and heat over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Toast the black pepper until you can just start to smell it.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water and add the orzo. Cook according to package instructions.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the orzo and add it to the skillet with the black pepper.
Add the cheese to the pan too. Mix well. Pour ½ cup of the reserved pasta water into the orzo and mix until creamy. If the orzo is still not creamy enough for your taste, add some more pasta water. Serve immediately.

Use another pasta! Orzo makes this pasta dish a similar consistency to a crab risotto, but you can use your favorite pasta shape in this recipe.
Change the cheese! While pecorino romano is classic in this recipe, you can change it out for a hard cheese such as Parmigiana Reggiano.
Add veggies! I love adding veggies to all my recipes, but you can stir in fresh spinach, chopped up asparagus, diced zucchini, or even sliced mushrooms too.
Add protein! This is a meatless Monday recipe, but you can add diced chicken breast, ground turkey, or even sliced steak on top of the orzo.