From Cacio e Pepe to Garlic and Tomato

Pici may be simple pasta, but that simplicity gives the sauce plenty of room to speak.

At Mama Florence Cooking School, these two preparations take pici in completely different directions. Cacio e Pepe coats the thick strands with Pecorino Romano and black pepper, while the garlic and tomato sauce cooks slowly until the tomatoes deepen and the garlic softens into the sauce.

One is perfect when you want something quick; the other suits those slower nights when you have time to let the sauce simmer. Both work beautifully with a pasta as sturdy and satisfying as pici.

Why Do Cacio e Pepe and Garlic & Tomato Sauce Work So Well with Pici?

Pici - see our fresh Pici Pasta recipe - is a thick, hand-rolled pasta from Tuscany, and its substantial texture makes it particularly good with sauces that can cling to the strands.

Cacio e Pepe uses Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and starchy pasta water to create a smooth coating around the pasta. While our garlic and tomato sauce takes a slower route, simmering tomato pulp with garlic and herbs for at least an hour.

And if you want to understand pici’s particularly Tuscan relationship with garlic and tomato, our guide to Pici all’Aglione explores the hand-rolled pasta and the giant garlic elephant garlic of the Valdichiana behind one of southern Tuscany’s best-known pairings.

Pici with Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe Sauce Ingredients

• 200 gr Pecorino Romano cheese •  4 gr black peppercorns •  pasta cooking water, as needed

Mama’s Secret: Keep the pasta water. The starch in the cooking water is what helps the Pecorino turn into a sauce rather than simply clumping around the pasta. Add it gradually and keep mixing until the cheese and water come together.

1. Prepare the Pecorino and Pepper

• Finely grate the Pecorino Romano.
• Roughly grind the black peppercorns.
• Before draining your pasta, reserve plenty of its cooking water.

2. Bloom the Black Pepper

• Add 2 tablespoons pasta cooking water to a large bowl.
• Add the black pepper and let it rest for 2 minutes.

3. Make the Pecorino Mixture

• In a separate bowl, combine the grated Pecorino with 200 ml pasta cooking water.
• Whisk vigorously.
• The original recipe specifies that the consistency should be more paste-like than creamy at this stage.

4. Dress the Pici

• Add the cooked pasta to the large bowl containing the pepper.
• Mix well, then add the Pecorino mixture.
• Continue mixing for approximately 1 minute.
• If needed, add a little more pasta cooking water until the sauce coats the pici properly.

Note from Mama: Why Pasta Water Matters in Cacio e Pepe

• Cacio e Pepe has very few ingredients, which means the technique matters enormously. The pasta water carries starch released during cooking. When that starchy water is worked together with finely grated Pecorino, it helps the cheese and liquid come together into a sauce that can cling to the pasta. Too little liquid and the cheese can become thick and clumpy. Too much all at once and the sauce can become thin. The goal is to add enough water to loosen the Pecorino while keeping the sauce wrapped around the pasta.

Pici with Garlic and Tomato Sauce

Garlic and Tomato Sauce Ingredients

• 400 gr tinned tomato pulp • 6 garlic cloves • extra-virgin olive oil, as needed • freshly grated Parmesan, as needed • parsley or basil, to taste • salt, to taste

Mama’s Secret: give this sauce the time the recipe asks for. The garlic and tomato sauce cooks over low heat for at least 1 hour, allowing the tomato to reduce gradually and the garlic to soften into the sauce rather than sitting sharply on top of it.

1. Prepare the Garlic

• Finely mince the garlic.
• Heat a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil in a sauté pan.

2. Gently Cook the Garlic

• Once the oil is warm, add the minced garlic.
• Cook until it becomes lightly golden, taking care not to burn it.

3. Add the Tomato

• Add the tomato pulp.
• Stir in parsley or basil and season with salt to taste.

4. Cook the Sauce Slowly

• Cook over low heat for at least 1 hour.
• If the sauce reduces too much during cooking, add a small amount of water and continue simmering.
• Serve with your cooked pici and finish with freshly grated Parmesan as desired.

Garlic Tomato Sauce vs Pici all’Aglione

They may look similar at first glance, but they are not exactly the same thing.

This Mama Florence sauce uses six cloves of standard garlic with tomato pulp, herbs, olive oil, and Parmesan. Traditional Pici all’Aglione, by contrast, is associated with Aglione della Valdichiana, the unusually large and mild garlic grown in southern Tuscany.

If you want to explore that regional tradition, read our story of Pici all’Aglione, where we look at both the hand-rolled pasta and the ingredient that gives the dish its name.

The Perfect Bite

With Cacio e Pepe, pici should feel almost made for the sauce: thick strands coated in salty Pecorino, with black pepper cutting through the richness. The garlic and tomato version is completely different. The sauce settles into the uneven surface of the pasta, bringing sweetness and acidity from the tomato and a deeper savory note from the slowly cooked garlic.

More Handmade Pasta to Make

If you want to move from sauce to pasta-making, our Fresh Egg Tagliatelle shows how eggs, all-purpose flour, and semola become delicate ribbons of fresh pasta. For something filled, make our Tortelli di Patate, or take them one step further with Tortelli di Patate with Butter and Sage.

And for the story behind Tuscany’s hand-rolled pici, Aglione della Valdichiana, and one of the region’s most distinctive pasta traditions, explore our Pici all’Aglione guide.

Learn Pasta and Sauce with Mama Florence

Learning pasta is only half the equation. The moment the pasta meets the sauce - how much cooking water to keep, when to add the cheese, and how vigorously to toss - can change the finished dish completely. You can explore those techniques in our Pasta Making Cooking Class at Mama Florence Cooking School.

For the Pecorino-and-pepper side specifically, you can also explore our Cacio e Pepe Cooking Class.

 

Pici Pasta Sauces FAQ

Q: What sauce goes well with pici pasta? A: Pici works with many sauces because of its thick, hand-rolled texture. This Mama Florence recipe pairs it with either Cacio e Pepe or a slow-cooked garlic and tomato sauce.

Q: What is Cacio e Pepe sauce made from? A: This version uses 200 g Pecorino Romano, 4 g black peppercorns, and pasta cooking water.

Q: Why do I need pasta water for Cacio e Pepe? A: The starchy cooking water helps loosen the Pecorino and bring the cheese and liquid together into a sauce that coats the pasta.

Q: How long does the garlic and tomato sauce cook? A: Cook it over low heat for at least 1 hour.

Q: Is the garlic and tomato sauce the same as Aglione sauce? A: No. This recipe uses standard garlic cloves. Pici all’Aglione traditionally uses Aglione della Valdichiana, a distinct variety associated with southern Tuscany.

Q: How much tomato do I need for the garlic sauce? A: The recipe uses 400 g tinned tomato pulp for four servings.

Q: Can I add herbs to the tomato sauce? A: Yes. The original recipe allows either parsley or basil, according to taste.

 

Disclaimer

Please note that our chefs may adapt recipes according to seasonal ingredient availability and participants’ dietary or allergy requirements. As a result, the ingredients, preparation, or presentation shown in this recipe may vary from what you prepared during your Mama Florence class. In some cases, elements of a dish may also appear as separate recipes. Please reach out to our team if any confusion arises. Thank you - the Mama Florence Family

Reviews

4.8 13 reviews

1. Never worked with dough like this before. It felt wrong under my hands for about five minutes and then suddenly it felt right, exactly as the step said it would.

   Megan T.

   Nashville, USA · July 2026

2. The version we ate over there was heavier, or perhaps we simply ate more of it. This one is more balanced and I think I prefer it at home. I am told at home that this is heresy.

   Michael R.

   Austin, USA · July 2026

3. Halved everything because there are only two of us. The proportions scale down cleanly, which is not always true.

   Jessica A.

   Toronto, Canada · May 2026

4. Very forgiving. It went too thick on me, a spoonful of liquid at the end and it came right back.

   Federica S.

   Bologna, Italy · April 2026

Show all 13 reviews