Bucatini Cacio e Pepe Recipe (2024)

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5 from 1 review

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe Video

What Is Bucatini Cacio e Pepe?

Cacio e pepe literally translates to cheese and pepper. And that’s exactly what it is! Pasta is coated with a smooth and creamy cheese sauce and plenty of freshly ground pepper. I liken it to mac & cheese for adults – it’s the type of meal that can be thrown together in 20 minutes, and is made with just a handful of ingredients that you probably have on-hand.

It’s one of Italy’s oldest pasta dishes and for good reason – it’s hearty, it’s easy, and it’s made with just a few ingredients.

Cacio e Pepe Pasta Ingredients

This recipe for cacio e pepe is made up of just 4 simple ingredients:

• Bucatini Pasta – Pasta for cacio e pepe varies, but I’ve used bucatini and love how the sauce clings to the thick noodles.
• Butter – Use a high quality butter for best flavor.
• Black Pepper – Because you want fresh pepper and bigger pieces of pepper, you’ll need to use freshly ground.
• Pecorino Romano Cheese – This is a must for authentic cacio e pepe. I originally assumed it was made with Parmesan, but it’s not!

How to Make Cacio e Pepe

While this bucatini alla cacio e pepe has an important method, don’t let it overwhelm you, it’s simple! Here’s how we make it:

• Shred cheese. If you’re cheese isn’t shredded yet, start here as the sauce comes together really quickly. Use a microplane zester or small shredder as you want airy shreds of cheese so it can easily melt into the sauce.
• Cook pasta. In a large pot of water, boil bucatini according to al dente directions, but take out 2 minutes early as we’re going to finish cooking it in the cacio e pepe sauce. (Salt your cooking water!)
• Reserve pasta water. YOU MUST RESERVE 2 CUPS OF THE PASTA WATER before you drain the pasta.

TIP: The pasta water is a starchy liquid that is sort of magic when it comes to the best pasta. The starches helps thicken the sauce, but it also helps emulsify butter and oil-based sauces.

• Toast pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet. When it foams, add freshly ground pepper and toast the pepper while swirling the pan.

• Mix sauce. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid along with the rest of the butter to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, add pasta to skillet. Start sprinkling in Pecorino Romano cheese, stirring and tossing mixture with tongs until the sauce is smooth. Add more pasta water if pasta mixture feels dry.

• Serve. Serve black pepper pasta in pasta bowls with additional shredded cheese and pepper to taste.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce cacio e pepe?

I’m not going to lie, cacio e pepe pronunciation was REALLY hard for me! It took a ton of practice. (I’m serious.)

Phonetically, it’s pronounced [kaˈtʃo e ˈpeːpe] but I think it’s best to listen to the pronunciation here.

What does cacio e pepe mean?

Cacio e pepe means cheese and pasta.

What pasta to use for cacio e pepe?

Long noodles work best for cacio e pepe. I’m partial to bucatini, as I’ve used here as they are thick and chewy, but you could also use spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine.

Can I use Parmesan cheese for cacio e pepe?

You can use Parmesan cheese in cacio e pepe pasta ….but Pecorino Romano is the traditional cheese and is preferred as it has a stronger flavor. I tried both and while Parmesan will work, we liked it better with Pecorino Romano.

Why is my cheese clumping?

There are a few things you can do to ensure your cacio e pepe doesn’t end up clumpy:

• Cheese shreds are too big – Using a microplane zester is recommended as it has will create very fine shredded cheese. This is also why you have to grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese is much too large.
• Don’t add all the cheese at the same time – Sprinkle in the cheese to pasta mixture and mix in until combined before adding another handful.
• Keep mixing – Toss pasta and cheese sauce mixture until it’s smooth.
• Turn down heat – If the pasta water mixture is TOO hot, it can cause the cheese to seize.

What to Serve with Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Wondering what to serve with cacio e pepe? It’s usually the type of meal I serve on its own, but if you want to include a side, I’d serve it with veggies or salad:

• Air Fryer Broccoli
• Haricot Verts
• Lemon Arugula Salad
• Chickpea Chopped Salad

More Easy Pasta Recipes

If you like this bucatini cacio e pepe recipe, you might also like some of these other easy pasta recipes:

• Scallop Linguine
• Skillet Gnocchi
• Ravioli Lasagna
• Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

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Bucatini Cacio e Pepe Recipe

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dingmann of myeverydaytable.com
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Skillet
• Cuisine: Pasta

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Description

Learn how to make bucatini cacio e pepe pasta! I’m sharing helpful tips and a step-by-step guide so your cacio e pepe turns out perfectly.

Ingredients

Scale

• 12 oz. bucatini pasta
• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• black pepper and pecorino for serving

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, but take out 2 minutes before it’s done. RESERVE 2 cups of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet. Add freshly ground pepper and toast until fragrant, swirling pan, for about 1 minute.
3. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and simmer. Reduce heat to low and add pasta to the skillet. Sprinkle in Pecorino romano cheese, stirring and tossing mixture together with tongs, until a smooth sauce forms. Add more reserved pasta water if mixture seems dry.
4. Serve with additional cheese and black pepper to taste.

Equipment

Microplane Zester

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Keywords: bucatini cacio e pepe, how to make cacio e pepe, cacio e pepe pasta, cacio e pepe recipe

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