This authentic bucatini cacio e pepe is the best light Italian pasta recipe. Made with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese and cracked black pepper, this easy pasta is made in just 15 minutes!
This post was originally published in June 2022 and has been updated for content.
Cacio e pepe is a classic Italian dish that originated in Rome. The literal translation is "cheese and pepper". This peasant food comes from Roman sheep herders who had little money, so they used their sheep's cheese along with some water and a bit of pepper to create this simple dish.
Serve this easy cacio e pepe recipe with homemade lemon ricotta cake, grilled peaches with mascarpone, or summer tomato and mozzarella panzanella!
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🧀 Ingredient notes
- Pasta - Bucatini is a long, narrow tube-shaped pasta that is similar to spaghetti. It's a thick noodle and has a hole running through the middle. Use thick spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine as alternatives, if needed.
- Cheese - Pecorino Romano is an Italian cheese made from sheep's milk that is traditionally used in an authentic cacio e pepe recipe. Use parmesan cheese or grana padano as alternatives, if needed. I highly recommend freshly grating your cheese for the best flavor and also texture of the sauce.
- Pepper - Black pepper makes up the "pepe" in this Roman pasta dish. I highly recommend using freshly ground pepper for this recipe. Grab some black peppercorns and then use a spice grinder (affiliate link) for the best peppery flavor.
- Butter - While not traditionally used in cacio e pepe, the addition of butter makes the cheese sauce, super creamy.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-Free - Use gluten-free pasta.
- Dairy-Free - Use a dairy-free butter and cheese substitute for the cacio e pepe sauce.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, cook the bucatini pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water.
In a large skillet, cook the olive oil and black pepper for about 1-2 minutes over medium heat until the pepper starts to brown.
Next, melt the butter in the skillet with the olive oil and pepper. Add the hot pasta, pecorino cheese, and reserved pasta water.
Toss everything together using kitchen tongs until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Serve with extra pecorino romano cheese and black pepper, if desired.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Add the pasta water from the cooked pasta last so that it doesn't splatter everywhere.
- The starchy pasta water helps bind the sauce together to make it creamy and also adds great flavor. If you forget to reserve it, regular water can be used instead.
🍝 My Perfect Pasta Cooking Ratio
1 Pound Pasta - 4 Quarts Water - 1 Tablespoon Salt
(Don't Forget to Cook Pasta Al Dente!)
🥡 Storage suggestions
Keep leftover cacio e pepe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little bit of extra water or butter.
🍝 More pasta recipes
If you loved this bucatini cacio e pepe recipe, then check out these other pasta dishes that I know you will love too!
- Creamy Carbonara Recipe
- Jumbo Shrimp and Scallop Scampi
- Casarecce Pasta with Asparagus and Peas
- Pasta with Pancetta and Peas
📖 Recipe
Authentic Bucatini Cacio e Pepe Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup grated pecorino romano, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Cook the bucatini pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the pasta cooking water to be used later.
- In a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop, heat the olive oil and then add the pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pepper just starts to turn brown.
- Add the butter to the skillet and allow it to completely melt. Add in the cooked bucatini pasta, pecorino romano and the reserved pasta water last.
- Toss to combine everything together until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Serve immediately with extra pecorino romano cheese and black pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Pasta - Thick spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine, may also be used.
- Pepper - Grind black peppercorns fresh in spice grinder or mill (affiliate link) to make the best pepper flavor in the pasta. Cook it until it just starts to turn lightly brown to release the flavor.
- Cheese - Freshly grated cheese will give the best flavor and texture to the sauce. so that it easily melts into the sauce. Parmesan or grana padano cheese are other options that could be used.
- Gluten-Free - Use gluten free pasta.
- Dairy-Free - Use dairy-free substitutes for the butter and cheese.
- Leftovers - Cool leftovers and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little bit of extra water or butter.
Andrea
so simple to make and delicious!
Amanda
Thank you!