The Best Cacio e Pepe Pizza
Inspired by the classic Italian dish, this cacio e pepe pizza has chewy crust, garlic butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, and creamy ricotta. It's a cheesy, cozy, and super flavorful dinner that is perfect for casual get-togethers with friends!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour and cornmeal, for dusting
- 2 pounds pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving (1/2 cup)
- 2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, for serving (optional)
Equipment
- Pizza stone, (optional)
- Pizza Peel (optional)
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!
Notes
The cornmeal will help prevent the dough from sticking to the peel and give that classic 'pizza parlor' crunch on the bottom. If you don't have cornmeal, you can just use flour.
Substitute Pecorino Romano with Parmesan if desired.
Use olive oil instead of butter for an oil-based white pizza.
Omit the ricotta cheese if you want a simpler pizza. The mozzarella and Parmesan is still plenty of cheese.
If you don't have a pizza stone, place a sheet pan in the oven while it's preheating.
If you don't have a pizza peel, use a flat wood cutting board.
You can also use a pizza oven to make this recipe. Follow the manufacturer's directions for the best results.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5g, Protein: 10.4g, Fat: 7.5g, Saturated Fat: 3.4g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 381mg, Potassium: 18mg, Fiber: 2g, Calcium: 72mg
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