Cheesy, peppery bucatini cacio e pepe is richly flavored and creamy. This simple 4-ingredient pasta recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for any night of the week!
2ozfinely-grated Pecorino Romano cheeseplus more for garnish
½cuphot, starchy pasta waterplus more if needed
Instructions
Fill a large pot roughly half full with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with salt (1 to 2 tablespoons). Add the bucatini pasta and cook it to just al dente. We want al dente pasta, but still firm. It will continue cooking as we create the sauce.
While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the black pepper and let it cook for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat until the pasta is done cooking.
Add the pasta directly to the pan with the melted butter and black pepper using a pair of large tongs. Add ¼ cup of starchy pasta water to the pan and toss everything together to coat. Add half of the cheese and the remaining ¼ cup of starchy pasta water. Continue tossing the pasta together until a creamy sauce forms. Stir in the remaining cheese until melted and combined.
Add additional starchy pasta water, if needed, one tablespoon at a time. Serve immediately with additional grated cheese and freshly-cracked black pepper.
Notes
This recipe makes 2-4 servings.
Reserve extra starchy pasta water to reheat leftovers.