Go Back
+ servings
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe noodles in a skillet pan with kitchen tongs turning the noodles over.
Print

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe is a simple pasta dish that comes together in just 20 minutes! With just 4 ingredients you can have an elegant, flavorful Italian dish on your table!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 433kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Bucatini pasta can use spaghetti or linguini if you can't find Bucatini
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper can add more when you taste it at the end
  • 2 1/4 cups Parmegiano Reggiano or Romano pecorino, see note 1.
  • reserved pasta water will need about 3 cups worth

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling add salt (you want the water to be heavily salted).
  • Place the pasta in the water and cook, stirring occasionally until about 1 minute shy of al dente. 
  • Drain the pasta, reserving roughly 3 cups of the pasta water. 
  • In a large skillet melt the butter, over medium to medium low heat. Once melted add the pepper. Stir the butter and pepper and continue cooking until the butter starts to foam. Continue cooking for another minute or 2, or until the butter turns a light amber color. 
  • Stir in 1 cup of the pasta water, bring to a simmer. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the finely grated cheese, stirring so that the sauce stays smooth. 
  • Using kitchen tongs, add the cooked pasta, tossing to coat in the sauce. Add the remaining cheese and additional pasta water to create a smooth and saucy sauce (I add roughly 1 1/2 more cups, but it varies). See note 2.

Notes

If you don’t eat the dish immediately after making it, you’ll probably find yourself needing to add additional pasta water to the dish to keep the saucy consistency. (So basically, don’t toss the pasta water until AFTER you’ve finished eating).
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, add some more of the reserved pasta water to the pasta and warm in the microwave until warmed through. Top with some additional parmigiano reggiano and stir so the water and the cheese combines to make the pasta saucy again.
I don’t recommend freezing this bucatini cacio recipe since pasta noodles can get mushy if frozen and thawed.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 435mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 598IU | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 1mg