Looking for the perfect busy weeknight meal that's super filling and incredibly simple? Then, look no further than this Gluten Free Instant Pot Cacio e Pepe recipe! It's a hearty Italian pasta dish that the whole family will truly enjoy. It is ready in about 20 minutes and all the hard work is done by the pressure cooker- minimal effort required on your end.

Don't let the lack of a long list of ingredients for you, this delicious gluten-free Cacio e Pepe is bursting with fantastic flavor! This one pot meal makes dinnr time a real breeze, making this dinner recipe a no brainer.
Any time I can make a dinner with just pantry staples and things that I already have on hand and don't have to encourage any additional cost is always a win in my book! Since this super simple recipe uses things commonly found in your kitchen, not only is this gluten free dish delicious but it is economical.
If your family loves gluten free pasta dishes like the best of them, make them one of these simple recipes: Gluten Free Chick-fil-A mac and cheese, or a simple vegan gluten-free pasta.
Why You'll Love This
- Incredibly easy using 4 ingredients
- Pasta with a cheese sauce- you can't go wrong
- Always a crowd pleaser
- Great for meal prep, easy to make a large batch to enjoy some now and have some for the rest of the week
- The Instant Pot is the only kitchen gadget you need- it's a one pot meal, no need to dirty up the whole kitchen just for dinner!
Ingredients
Nope, this ingredient list isn't missing any recipes, you only need these four ingredients to make this incredible gluten free pasta dish. Get more info on these ingredients in the recipe card below.

- Uncooked gluten free spaghetti pasta
- Chicken broth
- Pecorino Romano
- Freshly cracked black pepper
How to Make Gluten Free Cacio E Pepe - Instant Pot Recipe
Add your spaghetti noodles and chicken broth to your Instant Pot insert. Close the lid and sealing valve is closed as well. Set your instant pot to high-pressure for 8 minutes.

Once it's finished cooking, perform a quick pressure release by bringing the sealing valve toward you and releasing the pressure. Be careful this may be hot.
Once the pressure has all been released, wait one minute to allow the noodles to cool down before handling. Add ⅓ cup of pecorino cheese at a time to your cooked pasta and broth mixture.

Mix well with tongs. Repeat with the remaining cheese.
Add in your desired amount of cracked pepper to your gluten free spaghetti cacio e pepe.

Transfer to your serving bowl and enjoy while hot!
Storage
Once your simple dish has cool down come on you can transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. Due to the cheesy nature of this dish you have to refrigerate and eat leftovers when you're not eating them.
To reheat your leftovers, you can toss them in a microwave safe bowl and reheat them in the microwave, stirring to make sure that all of your cheesy sauce heats up well and still covers all of the pasta. Alternatively, my preferred way of heating up this pasta recipe is by tossing it in a large pot on the stove top and reheating it over the stove until it's all warmed through again. Sometimes it helps to add a little extra chicken broth to the pot.
Variations and Tips
- A traditional cacio e pepe recipe uses freshly grated pecorino romano cheese but you can always add other cheeses. Parmesan cheese would be a fantastic choice!
- I like using a pepper mill with whole peppercorns for my fresh cracked pepper.
- If you like more heat, add a dash or two of red pepper flakes.
- You can swap the chicken broth out for vegetable broth if desired. Follow your personal preference. Just make sure you use some kind of broth because that is key to help your gluten-free noodles not stick together while they are cooking.
- All you have to do to ensure that this is a gluten-free reipe, is to use gluten-free pasta. Your other pantry staple ingredients should already be naturally gluten-free!
- I used about 2 tablespoons of cracked pepper for the entire pot of this gluten free cacio e pepe recipe, but you may enjoy more or less pepper, so alter as you see fit. Alternatively, you can wait to add the fresh black pepper corn to each individual dish so each person can add as many cracks of fresh black pepper as they would like.
- This cheese and pepper pasta dish is usually made with spaghetti, but you can use any gluten-free pasta of choice, you could even use homemade gluten-free pasta, if you need to swap it out.
- Anytime I perform a quick release of pressure with my Instant Pot, I try to toss a dish towel over the valve where the pressure will be released so nobody accidentally gets burned.
What is Cacio E Pepe?
Cacio is an authentic Italian dish that translates to cheese and pepper in English. Cacio e pepe is pronounced Cash-e-oh EE Pep-ay if you were having trouble figuring it out. It's a super simple 4- ingredient main dish that the whole family will enjoy.

Can I make vegan cacio e pepe?
This is a really simple dish to make a vegan recipe. Simply swap your cheese out with a vegan Parmesan or other dairy free cheese option. And you can also swap your chicken broth out for vegetable broth. It's making this a vegan version, I also recommend adding nutritional yeast tand vegan butter to your simple ingredients so that you can get a delicious cheesy flavor to your creamy sauce.
More Gluten Free Recipes
- Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownies
- Gluten Free Yeast Doughnuts
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Gluten Free Coffee Cake
- Gluten Free Stuffing (perfect for the holidays)
- Gluten Free Lasagna
No need to visit any well known Italian restaurant this week for a phenomenal gluten-free dinner! Make this super simple Cacio e Pepe at home- dinner on the table in about 20 minutes!

Gluten Free Cacio e Pepe {Instant Pot Recipe}
Looking for a quick and easy dinner? This gluten free take on a classic Italian pasta dish can be made in just 20 minutes in the Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free spaghetti noodles uncooked, broken in half
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ lb. about 2.5 cups Pecorino Romano grated, fresh
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
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Add gluten free spaghetti and chicken broth to Instant Pot. You may want to break your spaghetti in half if you are using a smaller Instant Pot.
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Close the lid on your instant pot and make sure your sealing valve is closed as well. Set your instant pot to high-pressure for 8 minutes.
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Once your instant pot is done cooking, do a quick release by bringing the sealing valve toward you and releasing the pressure.
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Wait about one minute to allow the noodles to cool.
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Add ⅓ cup of cheese at a time to your spaghetti noodles and broth mixture. Mix well with tongs. Repeat until cheese is done.
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Add in your desired amount of cracked pepper to your instant pot. I used about 2 tablespoons cracked pepper for the entire pot, but you may enjoy more or less. You can also add more to each prepared dish.
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Transfer to your serving bowl and enjoy!
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