A super simple decadent cacio e pepe sauce which highlights two star-quality ingredients: fiery black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. The authentic Roman recipe meaning ‘cheese and pepper’ is creamy, salty, sharp and spicy, which creates the ultimate bowl of comfort food. Using ingredients which you are likely to have on hand this dish can be rustled up in only 20 minutes, perfect for quick weeknight suppers or as an impressive starter.
Our recipe uses bucatini, a thick spaghetti-like pasta. The name bucatini is derived from the word ‘hole’ as the pasta is a tube with a hole running through the center, ideal for maximizing sauce absorption. Other pasta varieties which would work well with this dish include spaghetti, linguine, tonnarelli or any preferred variety.
As the dish is of Roman origin the cheeses of choice are Pecorino Romano, a hard salty Italian cheese made of sheep’s milk combined with parmesan. As the recipe uses so few ingredients quality is key, use the best products that you have available and your reward will be an amazing result.
Try this recipe for a bowl of guaranteed happiness; quick, simple and delicious.
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Bucatini Pasta
- ¼ cup Butter, unsalted
- 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, freshly ground
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- COOK PASTA: Place a large saucepan on high heat and add hot water. Bring the water to a boil then season with salt and add the bucatini.
- Cook the bucatini for 8 minutes then strain through a colander, reserving one cup of pasta water.
- MAKE SAUCE: In a second saucepan on medium heat add half of the butter. Once melted, stir in the black pepper and allow to toast for 1 minute. Then add half a cup of pasta water and bring to a simmer, stir in the remaining butter.
- ADD PASTA: Reduce the heat to low then toss the cooked bucatini, pecorino and parmesan through the sauce. Stir to melt the cheese and form a thick silky sauce, add pasta water gradually if the sauce becomes too dry.
- SERVE: Serve the bucatini cacio e pepe immediately into warm bowls with an extra crack of fresh black pepper and grating of parmesan cheese.
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