This authentic Bucatini Cacio e Pepe is a rustic cheese and pepper pasta hailing from Rome. It requires only three ingredients, producing one of the simplest yet most delicious pasta dishes, one that Anthony Bourdain himself said “could be the greatest thing in the history of the world.”
Cacio e pepe is a humble dish that was historically prepared by shepherds. All of the required ingredients keep for a long time, making this a practical option for shepherds on the move. The name literally translates to “cheese and pepper” but you could also call this sheep herder’s pasta and still be accurate!
It is important to note that traditional and authentic cacio e pepe only includes three basic ingredients: pasta, pepper, and pecorino (along with starchy water from cooking the pasta to create a silky sauce). Butter, oil, and cream are NOT traditional ingredients. It disappoints me that so many other recipes claiming to be authentic include these. Don’t be fooled.
"If I'm in Rome for only 48 hours, I would consider it a sin against God to not eat cacio e pepe, the most uniquely Roman of pastas."
- Anthony Bourdain
This incredibly simple recipe is anything but basic. Use high quality ingredients, work quickly while all the ingredients are still hot, and enjoy immediately.
Ingredient notes
- Cheese: The only cheese that should go in authentic cacio e pepe is pecorino Romano cheese. This is a Roman pasta dish and the cheese used should be local to that area. Some people use Parmigiano-Reggiano, but it has quite a different flavor profile, is less salty, and is simply not the same as what is normally used for this dish. Grate the cheese yourself using a Microplane or the smallest holes on a box grater.
- Pasta: Cacio e pepe is typically paired with long strands of pasta, like spaghetti, tonnarelli, or bucatini. I use bucatini here (it’s a fun shape that is underutilized) but you could use spaghetti as well. Ideally, use high quality pasta that is bronze-die cut. It will have a rougher surface and the sauce will stick much better to the strands. It’s also a starchier type of pasta and will do a much better job yielding extra-starchy pasta water!
- Black Pepper: To have the greatest flavor impact, grind your pepper right before using it (either in a pepper mill or a mortar and pestle) and toast it in a pan as directed in the recipe. If you are concerned about spice, you can reduce the amount of pepper to suit your taste. I find that this amount isn't too spicy, but others may be more sensitive to pepper.
How to make it
Bring salted water to a boil preferably in a large, deep saute pan or skillet (wide enough to fit the dry bucatini). Use less water than you normally would, so the resulting pasta water will be extra starchy. Cook the pasta until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the black pepper until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add a ladle of the pasta water (it will sizzle) and set aside.
Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of starchy pasta water.
Add the finely grated cheese to a large mixing bowl. Add the pepper and pasta water mixture, along with ¼ cup of the reserved hot starchy pasta water. Mix it vigorously with a fork or small whisk to create a smooth paste.
Add the drained pasta and toss to coat, drizzling in more of the hot starchy pasta water as needed until you have a creamy, glossy sauce coating the pasta. (I added a total of about ⅔ cup starchy water including the initial ¼ cup).
Alternatively, return the drained bucatini to the skillet, add the cheese paste and additional starchy pasta water and toss it together in there. The heat of the pan can help maintain the heat of the ingredients within as you mix.
Serve immediately with additional black pepper and grated cheese if desired.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Although bucatini cacio e pepe is best served immediately, if you have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove over medium low heat with a scant amount of water to help loosen the pasta back up as it heats through.
As always, I recommend weighing your ingredients with a digital scale rather than using the provided volume measurements. Especially with the cheese, the way you grate your cheese can impact its volume. The weight will always be accurate regardless of your grating/measuring technique.
As mentioned in the recipe, use less water than you normally would to boil the pasta. This will result in a starchier pasta water which is ideal for bucatini cacio e pepe. Because this recipe uses a long pasta shape, it’s helpful to boil it in a wide and deep skillet instead of a traditional pot. This avoids needing a lot of water to submerge the dry pasta.
I purchase my pecorino Romano from an Italian grocery store in Providence called Venda Ravioli, where they freshly grate the cheese themselves and sell it (different that purchasing the pre-grated cheeses at supermarkets). Although it’s finely grated, there are some pieces that don’t always fully dissolve into the sauce, especially if the ingredients start to cool down as I assemble (see note below).
Note that the sauce isn't clumping here, but it's just some pieces of cheese not fully dissolving with the residual heat of the water and pasta. It doesn't help that when taking step-by-step photos the food starts to cool down (whoops!). This doesn’t bother me as the sauce is quite silky otherwise.
Other recipes you may like
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Coal Miner's Spaghetti)
- Penne all' Arrabbiata (Spicy Tomato Pasta)
- Rigatoni all' Amatriciana
- Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)
- Pasta alla Norcina (Creamy Pasta with Sausage)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Authentic Bucatini Cacio e Pepe (Roman Cheese and Pepper Pasta)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (225 grams) dry bucatini (you could also use spaghetti)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper plus more for serving
- ¾ cup (3 ounces / 85 grams) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese plus more for serving
- Kosher salt as needed
Instructions
- Bring salted water to a boil preferably in a large, deep saute pan or skillet (wide enough to fit the dry bucatini). Use less water than you normally would, so the resulting pasta water will be extra starchy. Cook the pasta until al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the black pepper until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add a ladle of the pasta water (it will sizzle) and set aside.
- Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of starchy pasta water.
- Add the finely grated cheese to a large mixing bowl. Add the pepper and pasta water mixture, along with ¼ cup of the reserved hot starchy pasta water. Mix it vigorously with a fork or small whisk to create a smooth paste.
- Add the drained pasta and toss to coat, drizzling in more of the hot starchy pasta water as needed until you have a creamy, glossy sauce coating the pasta. (I added a total of about ⅔ cup starchy water including the initial ¼ cup). Alternatively, return the drained bucatini to the skillet you boiled it in, add the cheese paste and additional starchy pasta water and toss it together in there. The heat of the pan can help maintain the heat of the ingredients within as you mix.
- Serve immediately with additional black pepper and grated cheese if desired.
Notes
- Although bucatini cacio e pepe is best served immediately, if you have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove over medium low heat with a scant amount of water to help loosen the pasta back up as it heats through.
- The only cheese that should go in authentic cacio e pepe is pecorino Romano cheese. This is a Roman pasta dish and the cheese used should be local to that area. Some people use Parmigiano-Reggiano, but it has quite a different flavor profile, is less salty, and is simply not the same as what is normally used for this dish.
- Note that the sauce isn't clumping here, but it's just some pieces of cheese not fully dissolving with the residual heat of the water and pasta. It doesn't help that when taking step-by-step photos the food starts to cool down (whoops!). This doesn’t bother me as the sauce is quite silky otherwise.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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