Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe is one of Italy’s simplest (and some would argue best!) pasta dishes and it relies on just a few ingredients: Pecorino Romano, freshly cracked black pepper, and pasta! While the dish is relatively simple and straightforward, it can also be tough to create a silky sauce with no clumps.
I’ll show you how to get a velvety smooth sauce every time, with tips to ensure yours turns out perfectly every time. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced home cook, I’ll walk you through the steps or watch the video that shows how to make it. It’s so delicious and easy that after a few times, you’ll add it into your regular pasta rotation.
Cacio e pepe literally translates to cheese and pepper. And that’s exactly what it is! The 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 total comfort food, but elevated. It’s one of Italy’s oldest pasta dishes and for good reason – it’s hearty, easy, and made with just a few basic ingredients.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
What You’ll Love About Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
- So satisfying and delicious
- Rich and cheesy flavor
- Chewy pasta and smooth and creamy sauce
- A little spice from peppercorns
- Made in 20 minutes
- Made with just 4 simple ingredients
- A simple dish, but also fancy enough for a nice meal
Ingredients
- Pasta – Pasta for cacio e pepe varies, but I’ve used bucatini and love how the sauce clings to the thick noodles. Bucatini has the smallest hole in the middle. You could also use a longer noodle like spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine.
- Butter – Use high-quality butter for the best flavor. In a recipe that is this simple, the ingredients matter.
- Black Pepper – Because you want fresh pepper and bigger pieces of pepper, you’ll need to use whole black peppercorns that are 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! You can use Parmesan, but the flavor and texture are better with Romano.
How to Make Cacio e Pepe
This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
- Grate cheese. If your cheese isn’t grated yet, start here as the sauce comes together really quickly. Using a microplane zester works really well 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!)
- 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 hot pasta to skillet. Start sprinkling in Pecorino Romano cheese, stirring and tossing the mixture with kitchen tongs until the sauce is smooth. Add more starchy water if the pasta mixture feels dry. Keep sprinkling cheese and stirring to incorporate it until you’ve used all the cheese and you have a silky sauce.
- Serve. Transfer pasta into pasta bowls and top with additional shredded cheese and black pepper to taste.
FAQs
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 kaa-chee-ow ee peh-pay but I think it’s best to listen to the pronunciation here. Keep listening and practicing until you get it and then you’ll be glad you know how to say it. 🙂
You can use Parmesan cheese in cacio e pepe pasta, but Pecorino Romano is the traditional cheese to use. I tried both and while Parmesan will work, Pecorino Romano is recommended as it has a saltier and stronger flavor and will give it a more authentic flavor. Parmesan won’t be quite as flavorful.
There are a few things you can do to ensure your cacio e pepe doesn’t end up clumpy:
Turn down heat – If the pasta water mixture is TOO hot, it can cause the cheese to seize.
Cheese shreds are too big – Using a microplane zester is recommended as it 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 cooked pasta mixture and mix in until combined before adding another handful.
Keep mixing – Toss pasta and cheese sauce mixture until it’s smooth.
Tips for Perfect Cacio e Pepe
While this dish isn’t complicated, it’s also not necessarily the easiest and most-forgiving. Here are my tips for cacio e pepe perfection:
- Clumpy Sauce? Use freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Pre-shredded cheese is often mixed with anti-caking agents so the cheese doesn’t stick together, but it makes it difficult to get a really smooth sauce. You also want to make sure that your sauce is hot, but not boiling or it will cause the sauce to seize. Gradually add the cheese to the sauce, mixing in completely before adding more in.
- Dry Sauce? Add more starchy pasta water! This is why I recommend saving 2 cups, which is probably too much, but that way you can adjust if needed.
- Bland flavor? Make sure you are properly seasoning the pasta water with salt, using freshly ground black pepper, and high-quality Pecorino Romano. If it still tastes a little bland, try finishing it with a bit of flaky salt. That usually does the trick!
- Sauce Isn’t Coating the Pasta? Toss vigorously to help the sauce coat the pasta evenly.
Storage
Cacio e pepe is best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers (I doubt this, ha!), store in an airtight container the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat in a skillet for best results. The cheese sauce may be a bit clumpy, but it will still taste great. You can also add a splash of water to help the sauce come together again.
How to prep ahead
This recipe comes together quite quickly, the most time-consuming task is grating your cheese, but this can easily be done ahead of time a day or so in advance. You can also crack your pepper a day in advance.
Pasta Side Dish Ideas
All this bucatini needs is a simple veggie side or an easy salad. Here are a few favorites that pair well with this dish:
Want More?
Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Pasta
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
- 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
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, but take out 2 minutes before it’s done. RESERVE 2 cups of starchy pasta water.
- Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add freshly ground pepper and toast until fragrant, swirling pan, for about 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and add pasta to the skillet. Sprinkle in some of the shredded Pecorino romano cheese, stirring and tossing the mixture together with tongs, until a smooth sauce forms. Repeat adding cheese and stirring it into the sauce until you’ve added all of the cheese. Add more reserved pasta water during this process if the mixture seems dry. It should have a shiny sauce-like look to it.
- Serve with additional shredded cheese and black pepper to taste.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
There are a few things you can do to ensure your cacio e pepe doesn’t end up clumpy:
- Turn down heat – If the pasta water mixture is TOO hot, it can cause the cheese to seize.
- Shred your own cheese – Using a microplane zester is recommended as it 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.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Cacio e Pepe translates to cheese and pepper, not cheese and pasta.
You are so right, I think (hope!?) that was a typo that I will edit. Thanks for letting me know.
We ate it all. So good and easy! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Julie.
I feel like I have just spent the night in Turin where I first had this amazingly simple dish!!!.
Upon the 3rd rendition I did go to Sicily and added some grilled artichoke hearts to this!
Please know if you’re going to make this at home, it is soooooo important to spend the extra few dollars to get a well aged cheese.
Thanks for this one,
Dr Ron
Good cheese is key! (to life, HA!) Thanks for making and love the artichoke addition.