Cacio e Pepe Pizza with Caesar Salad

Cacio e pepe pizza is such a fun twist on the original cheese and pepper flavor. Grilled sourdough pizza is brushed with peppery brown butter and topped with pecorino romano. Throw a caesar salad on top and you’re good to go!

Say hello to my new favorite way to eat pizza.

This grilled cacio e pepe pizza is made on my sourdough crust and topped with a crisp caesar salad. It’s so satisfying and simple! And also a very versatile meal when it comes to serving friends and family.

There are so many ways to eat pizza and salad but this is truly one of my favorites. It’s different and unique and feels really special – while at the same time having that classic flavor and familiarity.

Can I just say it tastes SO GOOD?!

Let me tell you just how delicious it is. 

First, I make my grilled sourdough pizza, just I do with my italian chopped version. You can actually use any pizza dough recipe that you love. I really adore the sourdough pizza on the grill, so it’s our go-to. 

Next, because this is an incredibly simple flavor profile, I brown some butter with fresh ground pepper. The butter toasts the pepper and it’s so incredibly fragrant. And I am not a pepper lover at all! The fact that I love this combo is huge. The pepper has such a great bite and the butter has a wonderful depth of flavor. 

As soon as the pizza dough is done on the grill, I remove it from the grates and brush it all over with the peppery brown butter. I coat the entire crust! 

Then, I sprinkle on some freshly grated pecorino romano. It is incredibly rich, savory, salty and nutty. I sprinkle it all over the dough. Some of it will melt and some will just lightly blanket the top. 

Finally – serve it! It basically looks like nothing, but it tastes like everything. A very simple pleaser that is absolutely delicious. 

Of course, I don’t need to end it there. Topping it with caesar? Yes please. 

We know that I’m all about topping a pizza with salad, so I like to take more of the pecorino and use it for that crisp caesar! Think fresh romaine… the kind that snaps under the knife and is perfect for a salad. 

I make my greek yogurt caesar dressing that we all adore. Toss some fresh romaine with the dressing and lots of the freshly grated pecorino. It’s super savory and crunchy and I love it so much.

Even more when it’s piled high on the pizza!

This is one ideal simple dinner of mine. I love it for a lighter dinner. To enjoy it on a summer night when it’s SO hot out, you barely want to cook. 

You can serve it at lunch to friends or even serve it as an appetizer or side. It’s fun and flavorful and always a huge hit! 

Any excuse for pizza and salad. I’m here for it.

Grilled Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Grilled Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Prep Time: 12 hours hrs

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 12 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Cacio e pepe pizza is such a fun twist on the original cheese and pepper flavor. Grilled sourdough pizza is brushed with peppery brown butter and topped with pecorino romano. Throw a caesar salad on top and you’re good to go!

sourdough pizza

• 325 grams water
• 100 grams sourdough starter or fresh discard
• 30 grams olive oil
• 15 grams honey
• 500 grams bread flour
• 12 grams kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese

• The night before, make the pizza dough. Combine the sourdough starter/discard in a bowl with water, flour, salt, olive oil and honey. Mix it together until a dough forms. Cover the bowl and let it rise overnight at room temperature – or at least for 8 to 12 hours. At this point you can stick it in the fridge or use it!

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the pepper. Stir and toast the butter for a few minutes until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove it from the heat.

• You can assemble the salad before making the dough so it’s ready to go. I toss the romaine with a few tablespoons of my caesar dressing. Toss in the grated pecorino cheese. Pecorino is very salty so I find that I don’t need salt and pepper.

• Preheat the grill to the highest setting.

• I like to use this dough to make two thinner crusts, but you can use it to make one larger thicker crust! Either way, if you divide it in half or use the whole thing, press it out until it’s a 10 to 12 inch round – or any shape you’d like. I do add some extra flour here to make it less sticky and more pliable. Not a ton, but a few tablespoons! And the exact amount differs, because it will depend on the consistency of your sourdough. Have a bit of bread flour on hand and sprinkle it as needed – on both your workspace and into the dough.

• Transfer your dough to a floured pizza peel. You can lightly brush it with olive oil if you’d like. Slide the dough onto the grill grates – directly on to them. Close the lid. The amount of time to grill will depend on your individual grill, but I start with the lid closed for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Check on the dough and if the bottom has charred a bit and has grill marks, you can flip it. To gently flip it, use either the pizza peel or two spatulas. Grill for another 2 to 3 minutes until the other side is grilled through. Keep in mind that this grilling time will depend on how thick or thin your pizza dough is! Just watch it constantly and don’t let it burn all over.

• Once the dough is finished, slide it off the grill with the peel. Place it on a cutting board. Brush it all over with the peppery brown butter. Top it with 1 the grated pecorino.

• Slice and serve it, or top it with the caesar and serve! You can also serve the caesar on the side.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

I like a little pizza with my salad!