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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

    Published: Jan 8, 2021 · Modified: Feb 8, 2022 by Alana Lieberman · As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Pin graphic for bucatini cacio e pepe.

    Transport yourself to Italy, while staying at home in your own kitchen, by making this wonderfully decadent bucatini cacio e pepe. This delicious Roman pasta is full of rich buttery flavor, subtle heat from fresh cracked pepper, and richness from freshly grated pecorino romano cheese. The recipe includes only 5 ingredients and is incredibly easy to throw together any day of the week! Pair your meal with a fruity and flavorful wine and you’ll truly feel like you’re immersed in Italian culture all the way from the opposite side of the world!

    Bucatini cacio e pepe spiraled inside a large blue serving bowl with a serving spoon inside and cheese crumbles around it.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 About the Recipe
    • 🛒 Ingredients
    • 📓 Instructions
    • 🔍 FAQs
    • 💭 One More Tip
    • 🍴 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    📋 About the Recipe

    Bucatini noodles are similar to spaghetti, but are tubular with a hole through the middle. This hole allows the pasta to soak up the rich, creamy sauce as it penetrates the inside of the noodle. Each bite is filled with nutty, cheesy flavor and a delicate freshness from the addition of grated lemon zest.

    Due to the simplicity of bucatini cacio e pepe, it’s easy to transform for different tastes and occasions. If making this for younger kids as a quick weeknight meal or if you are not a fan of a little heat, add less pepper or omit it altogether (although the pepper is truly what makes it “cacio e pepe”). 

    You can also "dress the pasta up" for a date night by making appetizers before dinner, pairing it with your favorite wine or cocktail, or adding a more upscale protein on top, such as sliced filet mignon or lobster tail.

    And, if you want to bulk up the dish even more, you can add plenty of other ingredients in just a few simple steps. Sear a chicken breast or shrimp in a skillet and add it on top of the pasta or simply stir fry a few veggies right before adding the pepper, lemon zest, and noodles to the melted butter.

    For a richer, saucier pasta, try this one pot lemon ricotta pasta!

    Looking for more Roman and Mediterranean inspired pastas, like this one? Check these out!

    • Mediterranean Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta
    • Pasta alla Gricia
    • Pasta Carbonara
    • Pasta All'amatriciana

    🛒 Ingredients

    Labelled ingredients for bucatini cacio e pepe (see recipe for details).

    A few notes about the ingredients:

    1. Lemon zest is not typically included in authentic cacio e pepe, but with the butter and cheese, I felt that it’d help lighten it up and add a fresh quality to it. If you’d prefer to leave it out, it’ll taste just as delicious!
    2. I often like to combine a ½ cup pecorino romano and a ½ cup grana padano parmesan. However, to keep the ingredient list simple, I’ve only included the pecorino. The difference is subtle, so if you only want to buy one, I’d recommend just buying pecorino.
    3. 6 tablespoons of butter may seem like a lot, but it’s truly the perfect amount for a rich and creamy pasta sauce. However, if you’d like to lighten the dish a bit, you can use a combination of butter and olive oil instead.

    📓 Instructions

    Fill a large pot with water and set it over medium heat on the stove. Once the water starts to boil, season it liberally with salt. Make sure to salt it well because this is where the pasta absorbs most of the flavor. 

    Then, add the bucatini or noodles of choice. Cook the noodles about a minute less than the package instructions. 

    While the pasta boils, prepare and cut any additional proteins or vegetables if you choose to include them.

    Bucatini noodles draining in a silver colander.

    Once the noodles are done cooking, reserve about a cup of the pasta water and then drain the rest. (If you forget to reserve the water, check out the added tip below!)

    In the empty pasta pot, melt the butter over medium-low to medium heat. Once the butter is almost completely melted, cook the protein/veggies until completely cooked through (optional) or skip right to adding the freshly grated pepper and lemon zest.

    Melted butter in a large black pot with lemon zest and cracked pepper in small bowls off to the side.

    After the pepper and zest are added, allow them to incorporate and toast in the butter for about a minute. Then, add the pasta and a ½ cup of pasta water to the pot.

    Bucatini noodles added to the melted butter, lemon zest, and cracked pepper in a large black pot with a measuring cup full of freshly grated cheese off to the side.

    Reduce the heat to low, add the grated cheese, and gently stir until everything combines to cover the pasta in a smooth silky sauce. If the pasta seems too dry or sticky, add a bit more pasta water in small increments until you reach the consistency you desire.

    Spiraled bucatini cacio e pepe on a blue plate with a fork twirled in pasta next to it and candle sticks, plates, and a serving dish surrounding it.

    Check out the how-to steps in this web story!

    🔍 FAQs

    How do you pronounce cacio e pepe? And, what does it mean?

    It is pronounced “kah-cheeo ay pay-pay.” It is translated from Italian as “cheese and pepper,” which is a pretty fitting description of this Roman pasta that is quite literally made from noodles, butter, LOADS of shredded cheese, and fresh ground pepper.

    Why do the cheese and noodles clump?

    If your bucatini cacio e pepe has clumped, instead of forming a smooth creamy sauce, chances are you grated the cheese with larger holes than intended. When the cheese has more surface area, it tends to stick together and melt slower, causing it to stick instead of simply melting. You can try to fix clumping by adding a touch more pasta water to help smoothly melt the cheese.

    What wine goes with this recipe?

    Due to this Roman pasta’s simple nature, nearly any wine would pair well with it. If you like reds, try a cabernet sauvignon. The deep fruity flavors of the cab bring out the subtle qualities of the cheese and mimics the richness of the freshly cracked pepper. And if you like whites, try either a riesling or pinot grigio, both of which have an acidity to offset the creamy cheese, but also have the flavor power to offset the heat of the pepper.

    What else can you serve with this recipe?

    In the ingredient list, there is a list of options to “beef up” a traditional bucatini cacio e pepe. Since traditionally, it is served as just pasta, I often like to include additional vegetables or protein to make the meal more complete and even a bit healthier. You can also serve homemade garlic bread with your meal, as well as a fresh garden salad.

    💭 One More Tip

    If you’re like me and often forget to reserve pasta water before dumping it down the drain, there’s a quick trick you can follow to get the same great results! In place of the pasta water, add ¼ teaspoon cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt to 1 cup of water. Follow the instructions above and add half of the mixture to the pasta when it says to add the pasta water. You can add more in small increments to get the texture you desire. This combination of corn starch, salt, and water closely resembles starchy pasta water and provides the same creamy, luscious consistency to any pasta sauce.

    Close up view of a serving bowl filled with spiraled cacio e pepe and garnished with a small sprig of thyme.

    🍴 Related Recipes

    • Mediterranean Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta
    • Pink Sauce Pasta
    • Creamy Thai Peanut Spaghetti Squash with Sesame Chicken
    • Creamy Cheddar Baked Brisket Mac and Cheese

    Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!

    📖 Recipe

    Bucatini cacio e pepe spiraled inside a large blue serving bowl with a serving spoon inside and cheese crumbles around it.

    Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

    Bucatini cacio e pepe is perfect as a family friendly weeknight meal or dressed up as a date night dinner. It is packed full of classic Italian flavor from freshly grated cheese and cracked pepper. With only 5 simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes of cook time, it's a quick and easy meal any day of the week! So creamy and delightful!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 376kcal
    Author: Alana Lieberman
    Cost: $15

    Equipment

    • large pot

    Ingredients

    • 12 to 16 ounces bucatini, spaghetti, linguine, capellini, or noodle of choice
    • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper more or less depending on taste
    • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese grated with the finer shred grate

    Optional Additions:

    • chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, or protein of choice
    • spinach, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, peas or vegetable of choice

    Instructions

    • Fill a large pot with water and set it over medium heat on the stove. Once the water starts to boil, season it liberally with salt. Make sure to salt it well because this is where the pasta absorbs most of the flavor. 
    • Then, add the bucatini or noodle of choice. Cook the noodles about a minute less than the package instructions. 
    • While the pasta boils, prepare and cut any additional proteins or vegetables if you choose to include them.
    • Once the noodles are done cooking, reserve about a cup of the pasta water and then drain the rest. (If you forget to reserve the water, check out the tip below!)
    • In the empty pasta pot, melt the butter over medium-low to medium heat. Once the butter is almost completely melted, cook the protein/veggies until completely cooked through (optional) or skip right to adding the freshly grated pepper and lemon zest.
    • After the pepper and zest are added, allow them to incorporate and toast in the butter for about a minute. Then, add the pasta and a ½ cup of pasta water to the pot.
    • Reduce the heat to low, add the grated cheese, and gently stir until everything combines to coat the pasta in a smooth silky sauce. If the pasta seems too dry or sticky, add a bit more pasta water in small increments until you reach the consistency you desire.

    Notes

    1. Lemon zest is not typically included in authentic cacio e pepe, but with the amount of butter and cheese, I felt that it’d help lighten it up and add a fresh quality to it. If you’d prefer to leave it out, it’ll taste just as delicious!
    2. I often like to combine a ½ cup pecorino romano and a ½ cup grana padano parmesan. However, to keep the ingredient list simple, I’ve only included the pecorino. The difference is subtle, so if you only want to buy one, I’d recommend just buying pecorino.
    3. 6 tablespoons of butter may seem like a lot, but it’s truly the perfect amount for a rich and creamy pasta sauce. However, if you’d like to lighten the dish a bit, you can use a combination of butter and olive oil instead.
    4. If you forgot to reserve pasta water before dumping it down the drain, there’s a quick trick you can follow to get the same great results! In place of the pasta water, add ¼ teaspoon cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt to 1 cup of water. Follow the instructions above and add half of the mixture to the pasta when it says to add the pasta water. You can add more in small increments to get the texture you desire.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Marni

      February 11, 2021 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      Had it now a few times as a weekly regular. What a great, easy meal!! I love adding different veggies each time I make it.

      Reply
      • Alana Lieberman

        February 12, 2021 at 3:31 pm

        So happy you like it! The veggies are definitely a great addition 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nora

      February 01, 2021 at 10:12 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! It will definitely become a staple in my cooking!

      Reply
      • Alana Lieberman

        February 01, 2021 at 10:17 am

        Thanks Nora! Happy to help make your dinners a bit easier 🙂

        Reply
    3. Pauline

      January 13, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      Great recipe. I have made but not with the lemon. Think I will definitely add it the next time I make this wonder recipe.

      Reply
      • Pauline

        January 13, 2021 at 8:12 pm

        Great recipe. I’ve made it but without the lemon. Seems like a wonderful addition.

        Reply
        • Alana Lieberman

          January 14, 2021 at 10:07 am

          Thank you, it truly makes it taste a bit lighter and fresher!

      • Alana Lieberman

        January 14, 2021 at 10:07 am

        I think you'll really like it with the lemon 🙂 Let me know how it goes!

        Reply

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    I'm the recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind Your Home, Made Healthy! I hope to inspire you to create healthy meals for your family without spending tons of time in the kitchen. Although my recipes focus on healthy eating and fresh ingredients, there is no diet talk here. Click below to find out why!

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