We love pasta and make it at least once a week. Rome is famous for four classic pasta dishes: bucatini carbonara, pasta alla gricia, rigatoni all’amatriciana, and cacio e pepe. Each one uses just a few simple ingredients, which means the quality of each one matters – especially the cheese, pasta, and freshly ground pepper. The key is learning to create the creamy sauce using pasta water, cheese, and black pepper. It’s a quick 30-minute dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Cacio e Pepe is made from 5 ingredients, so it’s worth splurging on the best pasta, cheese, and pepper you can afford.
The full ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
- Pasta: Not all pasta is created equal. Bronze-cut pasta is made with a special die that has more friction, producing a rougher surface on the pasta, causing the sauce to cling better. For Cacio e Pepe, a long noodle pasta such as tonnarelli, spaghetti, or bucatini is generally used. Tonnarelli is the traditional pasta for Cacio e Pepe but can be difficult to find in U.S. supermarkets. We use bucatini for this recipe since it is slightly thicker than spaghetti and has a hole in the center, which means the sauce coats the inside and outside of the pasta.
- Cheese: Traditional Cacio e Pepe is made with Pecorino Romano, which is made from sheep’s milk. In contrast, Parmigiano Reggiano is made from cow’s milk and has a milder, nutter flavor. Our recipe used a combination of both to get a nuttier and less salty flavor. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives such as potato starch to prevent clumping so it doesn’t melt as evenly. Whatever combination you decide on, it’s best to grate it yourself.
- Black Pepper: The star of Cacio e Pepe is the fresh cracked black pepper, so do not use ground pepper. Pepper begins to oxidize when it is ground, and oxygen reacts with the flavor compounds, causing it to lose some flavor. Only freshly cracked black pepper will give you the authentic flavor this dish is named for. We used a mortar and pestle to grind our peppercorns, but a peppermill would also work well.
How to Make Cacio e Pepe
Here are the quick step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions with the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: Use the side with the finest holes on your cheese grater since larger pieces of cheese are likely to clump.
1. Cook the Pasta: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the pasta and salt and stir occasionally. The pasta must be cooked just to al dente, typically 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on the package. Reserve 1 cup of the water you cooked the pasta in before straining.
2. Toast Black Pepper: Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and cook until the pepper is toasted, approximately 1 minute.
3. Create the Cheese Sauce: Add a 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to the skillet and bring it to a simmer, then add pasta and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and add Parmigiano Reggiano, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted. Remove the skillet from heat and add Pecorino Romano, stirring and tossing until cheese melts and sauce coats the pasta. Pasta should be al dente. Note: Add more pasta water if the sauce isn’t silky in the pan and you see a lot of unmelted cheese.
4. Plating: Serve pasta topped with a sprinkle of additional cracked black pepper and grated cheese. We recommend serving it with our Italian salad.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: The recipe comes together quickly, so making ahead isn’t recommended as the sauce will thicken and pasta will continue to absorb liquid. If needed, grate the cheese blend up to 24 hours ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
How to Store: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, lasting 3-4 days. Leftovers can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-months.
How to Reheat: Cacio e Pepe is best served fresh, but leftovers can be reheated on the stovetop or microwave. Since the cheese sauce will thicken as it sits, add a splash or two of water and stir while the pasta is reheated.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Some flavors will come from the reserved pasta water, so make sure it is salted.
- The starch from the reserved pasta water helps create a creamy consistency, so just use enough water to cook the pasta. We recommend 1/2 quart of water for every ounce of pasta.
- Your pasta should be slightly undercooked, or just al dente, since it will continue to cook with the sauce.
- The toasting process enhances the flavor of the black pepper, so don’t skip this step.
- Only use freshly grated cheese since pre-shredded cheese contains de-clumping additives that affect how it melts.
- Cheese should be grated as finely as possible. Larger grated cheese takes longer to melt, creating a clumpy sauce.
- There are only five ingredients, so use the highest quality ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both dishes include black pepper and cheese, but pasta carbonara includes egg and cured pork such as guanciale or pancetta.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
Looking for more 30-minute Italian-inspired pasta recipes? Try these other favorites:
- Bucatini Carbonara with Guanciale – combines crispy guanciale with pasta, then tossed in a creamy sauce of egg and Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Gnocchi with Asparagus in Lemon Cream Sauce – combines a lemon cream sauce, pillowy gnocchi, and crispy-tender asparagus, and then it is topped with a light dusting of beetroot powder.
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta – combines the earthy, umami-rich flavors of fresh mushrooms with a luscious, velvety sauce, all draped over perfectly cooked pasta. This comforting and flavorful pasta dish is a favorite for pasta enthusiasts and mushroom lovers.
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Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
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Equipment
- Box Grater or Food Processor
- Large Saucepan (4 Quarts)
- Large Skillet (10 inches)
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Bucatini
- kosher salt, for pasta water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- ⅓ cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
Instructions
- Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Add pasta and salt, stirring occasionally, and cook pasta for 2 minutes less than recommend cooking time on package. Strain pasta, reserving approximately 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and cook until pepper is toasted, about 1 minute.
- Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to skillet and bring to a simmer then add pasta and remaining butter.
- Reduce heat to low and add Parmigiano Reggiano, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted. Remove skillet from heat.
- Add Pecorino Romano, stirring and tossing until cheese melts and sauce coats the pasta. Pasta should be al dente. Note: Add more pasta water if the sauce isn't silky and you see unmelted cheese.
- Serve pasta topped with a sprinkle of additional cracked black pepper and grated cheese.
