Description
This Easy Bucatini Cacio e Pepe recipe is a simple yet delicious Italian pasta dish made with just five ingredients. It delivers rich, cheesy flavor with a touch of black pepper in under 30 minutes, perfect for a quick dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and cook until al dente according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cracked black pepper and toast it for about 1 minute.
- Reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet with the butter and pepper. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat.
- Gradually sprinkle in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese while continuously tossing or stirring the pasta to create a creamy sauce. Add more reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use freshly grated Pecorino Romano for the best texture and flavor.
- Don’t rinse the pasta – the starch helps the sauce emulsify.
- Work quickly once the cheese is added to avoid clumping.
- This dish is best served immediately and doesn’t store well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
