For a true cacio e pepe you should probably leave out the dried Italian seasoning, but I love it in this dish. Pick your favorite hard cheese like Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago to use in this sauce and you may find yourself licking your plate clean.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepot over medium heat.
After the butter has melted, bloom pepper and dried Italian herbs in it until they smell fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in milk and continue to whisk vigorously while adding 1 tablespoon of cold butter at a time. Only add the next pad of butter after the previous one has been completely incorporated in the emulsion. Turn off heat and set aside after all the butter has been added.
While whisking butter into the milk, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. When boiling add 16 ounces of pasta and cook until tender, about 9 minutes.
When pasta is done, drain it and reserve the pasta cooking water.
Add cooked pasta to the cheese mixture and gently stir to completely coat pasta with sauce.
Return sauce to low heat and stir in heavy cream and fold in chopped bacon.
Slowly add 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water. Stir to incorporate and smooth out sauce. If sauce tastes gritty, continue to add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth.
Serve mac and cheese in a casserole dish and top with fresh chopped parsley and sage.