Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Bucatini cacio e pepe is a slightly different take on the authentic cacio e pepe recipe. This is an authentic pecorino romano cream sauce, but I use bucatini instead of spaghetti. The thicker pasta does wonders at catching this iconic three-ingredient cheese sauce.

Cacio e pepe is minimalist pasta at its best. Three ingredients and 15 minutes — that’s all you need to make an incredible pasta dish.

Bucatini cacio e pepe is the perfect pasta dish for a quick lunch, date night or simply on those days when you’d love a quick treat.

Cacio e pepe translates as “cheese and pepper”, and that’s literally all you need to make these deliciously creamy bucatini cacio e pepe. You don’t need any oil or butter — you can make a perfectly creamy pasta sauce using just cheese and starchy pasta water.

Why you’ll love bucatini cacio e pepe

• It’s so easy to make. Three ingredients are all you need here. Cacio e pepe has no business being that delicious, but you’ll be surprised at how tasty it is.
• It doesn’t have oil in it. Authentic cacio e pepe doesn’t have any oil or butter in it. Don’t even think about adding cream!
• It has a wonderful, creamy texture. Cacio e pepe is naturally creamy from just cheese and starchy pasta water.

What goes into cacio e pepe?

Bucatini — Cacio e pepe is usually made with spaghetti, but I like how thicker bucatini catch the sauce. It’s super important to pay attention to the way you’re cooking the pasta. You want it to be just al dente (barely so). That’s because the pasta will continue to cook with the peppercorns.

Black peppercorns — You need freshly ground black peppercorns for cacio e pepe. Use a mortar and pestle to crush it as roughly as you like. I personally like chunkier bits of pepper, but you can go finer if you like.

Pecorino romano — Freshly grated pecorino romano is the traditional choice for this Roman pasta dish. You can make it with a mix of pecorino and parmesan, though. it’s important to grate your cheese from scratch for cacio e pepe.

How to make cacio e pepe bucatini

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the bucatini al dente according to the instructions on the package. Use less water than you would usually do because you’ll need some extra starchy pasta water. Reserve at least half of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan or an enamelled Dutch oven over low heat. Add half of the crushed black peppercorns and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Add 1-2 ladles of pasta water, then add the drained bucatini to the pan. Use kitchen tongs to stir the pasta continuously as it continues to cook. If it looks too dry, add another ladle of pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking with the peppercorns, add half of the pecorino to a bowl and mix in a ladle of pasta water. Use a whisk to stir well until creamy, adding more water as needed. Add the rest of the pecorino except for a handful and continue to whisk until you get a thick-ish cream without any lumps.

Give the pasta another good stir, then turn off the heat. Pour in the pecorino cream and stir continuously with the kitchen tongs. Stir in the extra pecorino you reserved, then transfer the pasta to a plate. Season with some of the remaining crushed pepper and enjoy immediately.

Leftovers and storage

• Cacio e pepe is best served immediately. However, if you’re wondering, “can I reheat cacio e pepe?” the answer is yes. The texture may be a bit different, but the taste is still going to be great.
• You can reheat cacio e pepe on the stovetop or in the microwave. You’ll need to add a splash of water when reheating because the sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.
• Bucatini cacio e pepe will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Recipe notes and tips

• Don’t skip the toasting of the pepper step. That’s extremely important if you want to get the most out of your pepper. However, don’t do it for too long, as the pepper will burn. About 1-2 minutes on low heat should be fine.
• Make sure you use less cooking water for the pasta than you would do for other recipes. That’s because you need very starchy water to make cacio e pepe creamy.
• Don’t use fine ground pepper for cacio e pepe — it needs to be freshly cracked pepper so you can make the most of the flavour.

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

• Penne alla Vodka with Sausage
• Mediterranean Pasta with Feta and Olives
• Creamy Chicken Feta Pasta
• Rigatoni Fiorentina (Creamy Chicken Florentine Pasta)
• Pink Sauce Pasta

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