Pasta controversy: British food site sparks Italian backlash over cacio e pepe recipe

A popular British food website has landed in hot water over its take on a traditional Roman pasta dish. Italians are up in arms after the culinary portal Good Food modified the recipe for cacio e pepe. The backlash was so intense that a formal complaint was even lodged with the British ambassador, according to British media reports.

Cacio e pepe is a beloved and iconic Italian dish — and deceptively simple. It consists of just three ingredients: tonnarelli pasta (a type of thick spaghetti), black pepper, and pecorino Romano cheese. But while the ingredient list is short, the preparation is anything but easy.

Good Food’s claim that the dish is “quick to make” enraged many Italians, who argue that mastering the technique is far from straightforward. Even more outrage was directed at the choice of ingredients.

The British version lists four ingredients: spaghetti, black pepper, parmesan cheese, and butter. It also suggests using cream as an alternative — a recommendation that left Italian chefs and cooks fuming. “Anyone who uses cream in this recipe doesn’t know anything about cooking,” one Roman restaurant owner told the BBC.

Claudio Pica, president of the Rome branch of Fiepet Confesercenti — an association representing restaurants in Italy — expressed his dismay. “This iconic dish, traditionally from Rome and the Lazio region, has been a staple of Italian cuisine for years, so much so it has been replicated even beyond Italy’s borders,” Pica told the BBC.

The controversy escalated to the point where the association filed a formal complaint with the British embassy in Rome. Letters were reportedly sent to Immediate Media, the publisher of Good Food, and to the British ambassador, Edward Llewellyn, demanding an explanation.

Pica reiterated that cacio e pepe contains no butter or parmesan, and certainly no cream. “We regret having to draw attention to a British website,” he said, “but this is a matter of cultural heritage.”

Italians are famously protective of their cuisine, and reinterpretations of traditional dishes often spark heated debate. Whether it’s pineapple on pizza or mixing chicken with pasta, many Italians insist: that’s just not Italian.