From Pasta to Present: Inside Melbourne's Love of Cacio e Pepe

11 Apr 2022

Cacio e pepe might have been born in Rome, but it’s been embraced around the world, not least in Melbourne where forward-thinking cooks have remixed Roman classic in bold, creative ways.

If Anthony Bourdain had just 48 hours in Rome, he would “consider it a sin against God to not eat cacio e pepe, the most uniquely Roman of pastas.” The late journalist and television presenter makes a good point.

Made using dried pasta, black pepper and pecorino (a hard and salty sheep’s milk cheese that is often grated), cacio e pepe can be traced back to the shepherds of Ancient Rome who would often spend days tending and moving flocks. In cacio e pepe, they had a delicious, calorific meal that could be made quickly using dry ingredients that could survive long journeys. While there might have been a strong practical component to cacio e pepe, the dish’s pungent combination of salt and acidity isn’t just delicious, it’s also versatile, as demonstrated by imaginative chefs throughout Melbourne’s cosmopolitan dining scene.

At the New York Times enshrined Lune Croissanterie, baker and flour whisperer Kate Reid has transformed cacio e pepe into a savoury escargot as part of Lune’s experimental pastry series. At Freddy’s, a fun-casual pizzeria in Windsor, guests can hook into a cacio e pepe pizza that sees the classic pepper and pecorino one-two fortified with parmigiano and fior di latte. Even Shannon Martinez, the city’s queen of vegan cooking, has gotten in on the action by way of a dairy-free cacio e pepe made with an imitation, coconut-based “Parmesan”.

Then there’s the grilled lettuce dressed with cacio e pepe sauce at Lollo, the Italian(ish) restaurant at W Melbourne. The kitchen starts with quarters of cosberg lettuce, char-grills them till they’re supple and smoky, then dresses each quarter with a bechamel-like pecorino and pepper sauce. Grated pecorino emphasise the dish’s cheesiness.