This Bucatini Cacio e Pepe is a classic Italian dish you can whip up in 20 minutes! True to its name, which means "cheese and pepper", this dish features pecorino romano cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. This recipe has just 5 simple ingredients, which come together to create a comforting and flavorful meal. It's technically a roman pasta dish, and is sometimes called "roman sheep herders pasta" because pecorino is a sheep's cheese. This is one of my favorite easy pasta recipes!
Bucatini might be my favorite pasta shape, and it's the perfect vessel for this creamy sauce! This thick, spaghetti-like pasta has a hollow center, which makes it bulkier than spaghetti. While fresh bucatini is the obvious choice if you can get your hands on it, it's a difficult pasta shape to make from scratch at home. If you'd like to sub in another pasta, I recommend a thick pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine. I'd love to test this recipe with a thick noodle like udon as well!
Cacio e pepe is commonly cited by professional chefs as one of their favorite meals to cook for themselves after a long, hard day. It's easy to see why, since the effort-to-taste ratio for this simple dish is great! Pick up some pecorino romano, and enjoy this minimalist pasta whenever the craving strikes!
How to make Bucatini Cacio e Pepe:
- Finely grate your pecorino romano cheese and black pepper.
- Cook your bucatini pasta until al dente in a large pot of water.
- Meanwhile, toast the pepper in some butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat or medium-low heat.
- Whisk together some corn starch and water (or use some starchy pasta water), then add that to the butter in the pan. Once that's simmering, remove it from heat and add the grated pecorino romano cheese. This creates the signature cacio e pepe sauce.
- Toss the cooked bucatini in the cheesy sauce (I use kitchen tongs for this step). Then serve topped with more pecorino and black pepper.
FAQ
What does "Cacio e Pepe" mean?
In Italian, "cacio e pepe" means cheese and pepper. So this dish has a very literal name, it's just cheese and pepper pasta!
What is pecorino romano cheese?
Pecorino romano is a hard, salty cheese made from sheep's milk. It's similar to parmesan cheese (made from cow's milk) but has a distinct flavor. While it is the traditional cheese for this dish, if you can't find pecorino, this recipe is still delicious when made with parmesan.
What does Cacio e Pepe taste like?
I think it's a bit like grown-up mac & cheese. The richness of the cheese sauce is cut with tangy and salty flavors, with some extra flavor coming from the fresh black pepper.
Key Tips - Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
Use corn starch instead of pasta water.
- The reason "pasta water" (aka water that has been used to cook pasta) is commonly used in pan sauces is that the pasta leaves behind some starch in the cooking water. Starches are great at making sauces silky, and helping the sauce stick to the noodles.
- When we use pasta water in a recipe, it's hard to know how much starch is in there. The concentration will vary by pasta used and by the amount of water you boil it in. Rather than guessing, I like to make my own starchy water using corn starch, so I get the same results every time. (That's what helps make this a foolproof cacio e pepe recipe!)
- If you don't have corn starch on hand, feel free to use pasta water!
Use freshly cracked black pepper.
- There is a huge difference in flavor and aroma between freshly cracked black pepper, and pre-ground pepper that has been sitting around for a while. To me, they taste like two completely different spices. For best results, grind your pepper just before using.
- While fancy pepper mills are great (I have this one) all you really need is a cheap plastic grinder that comes with whole black peppercorns from the grocery store (like this).
Finely grate the pecorino.
- Use the smallest setting on your box grater to finely grate the pecorino romano. This will help it melt more quickly and evenly, and will reduce the likelihood that the sauce may "break" and separate. I do not recommend using pre-grated cheese from the store, because it may have similar issues melting into the sauce.
Dietary Restrictions - Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
This dish is naturally Vegetarian.
- Since this dish relies on the pecorino cheese, there isn't an easy way to make it vegan.
Make it Gluten-Free:
- Substitute the bucatini for gluten-free pasta.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. This cacio e pepe pasta is listed with the standard serving size for pasta of 2 oz (¼ of the batch). Pictured in the photos are two servings per bowl.
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 8 oz bucatini pasta dried
- 3 tablespoon butter thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for topping
- 2 oz pecorino romano cheese finely grated, about 1 cup per batch
For starchy water (or sub pasta water)
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ½ cup hot water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, cook the pasta per package instructions for al dente.
- Meanwhile, combine the corn starch and hot water and mix until fully dissolved.(You can use pasta water instead, but this method gives more consistent results because it has a controlled amount of starch)
- As the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Once melted, add the fresh black pepper and toast until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the corn starch and water mixture to the skillet with the butter and mix to combine. Let that come to a simmer over medium heat, then remove the skillet from heat and add the cheese, stirring frequently.
- Once the cheese is fully melted, add the drained pasta to the skillet and mix until it's fully coated.
- Serve immediately, topped with more black pepper and grated pecorino.
Nutrition
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Nat says
just what I was looking for, yum!