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 a fixed abode.