Simple, Classic Bucatini Cacio E Pepe Recipe

It's hard to go wrong with a pasta dish when you want to make something both easy and tasty, but a standard spaghetti in marinara sauce can start to feel stale after a while. This bucatini cacio e pepe could be the perfect solution to your weeknight dinners — it's quick, easy, requires only 5 ingredients, and makes the perfect introduction to Rome's most iconic pasta recipes. As recipe developer Julianne De Witt explains, the dish's cheesy, peppery flavors are actually found right in its name, as cacio e pepe translates quite simply in Italian to "cheese and pepper." 

One thing that's a little different about this 15-minute pasta recipe is the cooking method. "This pasta is cooked using the risottare, or risotto, method, where the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce," explains De Witt. That said, it's very easy to do; you just remove the pasta from the boiling water before it's fully cooked and add it to the pan when the sauce is ready. "The pasta may be slightly stuck together when you add it to the saucepan, but it will release as you gently stir into the sauce," De Witt encourages. "I love this recipe because it's so simple but delicious." 

Gather the ingredients for this simple, classic bucatini cacio e pepe recipe

You only need 5 ingredients for this recipe, and you likely have at least a few of them on hand. Check your kitchen for kosher salt, black peppercorns, bucatini pasta, butter, and pecorino Romano cheese before you get started.

Step 1: Bring salted water to a boil

Add water and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil.

Step 2: Toast the peppercorns

Meanwhile, place peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl peppercorns around in the pan until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3: Crush the peppercorns

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the peppercorns. Set aside.

Step 4: Place the pasta in the water and cook it partially

Add bucatini to the boiling water and cook until halfway done, approximately 6 minutes.

Step 5: Set aside the pasta water and drain the pasta

Reserve the pasta cooking water before draining the bucatini. Set both aside.

Step 6: Melt butter in a pan

In a large saucepan, melt the butter.

Step 7: Sprinkle in the pepper

Add 1 tablespoon crushed black pepper and stir.

Step 8: Pour in some pasta water

Add a large ladle of pasta water to the pan and bring to a simmer.

Step 9: Add the pasta to the pan

Add the bucatini and move it around in the pan using tongs. Cook until al dente, adding more pasta water if necessary, about 3 minutes.

Step 10: Stir in the cheese

Add pecorino and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce.

Step 11: Serve the pasta

Serve immediately with more pecorino and pepper, if desired.

What pairs well with bucatini cacio e pepe?

While heartier pasta dishes like fettuccine alfredo, lasagna, or baked ziti lend themselves to being main courses, bucatini cacio e pepe works every bit as well as a side dish as it does the main event. That said, its richness shouldn't be overlooked when deciding what to pair it with — the additions of butter and cheese help make for a filling side. 

For that reason, De Witt suggests pairing cacio e pepe pasta with lighter options, such as "grilled fish and a bright green salad with some crusty bread on the side." Classic grilled fish options might include orange roughy or grilled cod, and you could liven up a traditional green salad by making a green bean and tomato panzanella option. And as far as crusty breads go, the sky is the limit. If you want to try making some from scratch, consider Italian, French, or focaccia loaves your first time around.

Can any ingredient substitutions be made in this classic bucatini cacio e pepe recipe?

The trick with simple recipes with limited ingredients is that the quality of each ingredient plays a major role in the recipe's final result. For that reason, it's best to follow the recipe precisely to garner the best results. That said, De Witt says out of the 5 ingredients in this cacio e pepe, the pasta is the one you can substitute if needed. "I like to use bucatini, a thicker pasta with a hole down the center that allows it to capture more of the cheesy sauce. If fettuccine or spaghetti is all you have on hand, it will make a fine substitute." 

Two areas where De Witt advises against cutting corners are with the recipe's flavor-makers: the cheese and pepper. "Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese made form sheep's milk. Its grainy texture makes it perfect for grating. I recommend a good-quality pecorino for this recipe," she says. And while you may be tempted to pull out your pepper shaker from the cupboard to skip the steps where you toast and crush fresh peppercorns, it's best to stick to the recipe. "Toasting the peppercorns before crushing maximizes the flavor. The oils in the peppercorns are released, resulting in a smoky and spicier flavor. I like to use a mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns so I can control the coarseness, but a pepper mill can be used as well," De Witt says.

Simple, Classic Bucatini Cacio E Pepe Recipe

5 (23 ratings)

Made with five ingredients, two of which are salt and pepper, this cheesy, creamy, and slightly spicy pasta is a classic dish from Rome and cooks in 15 minutes.

Prep Time
5
minutes
Cook Time
10
minutes
servings
4
servings
bucatini cacio e pepe twirled on fork
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 12 ounces bucatini
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups pecorino Romano, finely grated

Directions

  1. Add water and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, place peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl peppercorns around in the pan until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the peppercorns. Set aside.
  4. Add bucatini to the boiling water and cook until halfway done, approximately 6 minutes.
  5. Reserve the pasta cooking water before draining the bucatini. Set both aside.
  6. In a large saucepan, melt the butter.
  7. Add 1 tablespoon crushed black pepper and stir.
  8. Add a large ladle of pasta water to the pan and bring to a simmer.
  9. Add the bucatini and move it around in the pan using tongs. Cook until al dente, adding more pasta water if necessary, about 3 minutes.
  10. Add pecorino and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce.
  11. Serve immediately with more pecorino and pepper, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 652
Total Fat 27.7 g
Saturated Fat 16.9 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 91.5 mg
Total Carbohydrates 67.0 g
Dietary Fiber 3.2 g
Total Sugars 2.8 g
Sodium 950.4 mg
Protein 32.3 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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