Only a few ingredients and such a perfect dish to serve for a quick and simple weeknight dinner. A nice salad and maybe some good homemade bread and you have a meal. The key is in the pasta water and how you cook the sauce so your cheese does not solidify into clumps.
Bucatini pasta is an excellent choice for this recipe! I chose to use this pasta which is one I have never cooked with before. It is a thick spaghetti with a hollow center, known as the “buco” or hole. Bucatini was perfect for capturing all of the creamy, cheesy sauce in this recipe.
Looking at various recipes I noticed a difference in ingredients – some add butter, different amounts of pepper, different pastas and amount used. So, I combined a few recipes together to create my own Pasta Cacio e Pepe based on my tastes … Doesn’t this look good? A big indulgence, but why not once in awhile!
Pasta Cacio E Pepe (Pasta With Cheese and Pepper)
- 4 oz. (2 cups plus more to finish) Pecorino Romano, grated – you could use a combination of Romano and Parmesan or just Parmesan; just be sure to use the good stuff as it makes a difference in the taste
- 12 oz. bucatini (could substitute linguine or spaghetti but I highly recommend this heartier pasta with a hollow center)
- 1 tbsp. salt in 10 cups of water for cooking the pasta
- 2 tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/2 to 1 cup pasta water
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground fresh (or more to taste)
- fresh basil to garnish (this comes from a plant I have been growing on a South-facing windowsill)
- garnish with a couple slices of crispy prosciutto pieces cooked in oil
I love my battery operated Peugeot pepper grinder for just this kind of a recipe when a lot of pepper is needed. You could also put the peppercorns in a small plastic bag and coarsely crush with a flat side of a meat mallet. Then put in a sieve to remove any dust that falls through.
Heat the 10 cups of boiling water with a tbsp. salt added; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. For more tender pasta cook an additional minute or two. It’s important to measure the water and only use this amount as the starches will be concentrated and will result in the success of this recipe. You can actually see the starchy water.
Drain the pasta in a colander and save 1 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pan.
Place your cheese in a bowl and slowly add enough pasta water until you reach a desired consistency. Next whisk in the cream, oil and pepper. Slowly pour this mixture over slightly cooled pasta, tossing lightly to coat. If the pasta is too hot, the cheese will tend to clump and not melt.
So, two things to remember; 1) use only the specified amount of water and 2) allow the pasta to cool slightly before adding the cheese sauce.
This recipe turned out perfect and we just wanted to “stuff” ourselves with this “comforting” pasta.
Recipe by Cooking With Aunt Juju
Linking to Fiesta Friday #185
I definitely like the sound of this !!! Looks so tasty, and I know my pasta loving family would love this. 🙂
Thanks Lynne – for sure as I love my pasta too and this recipe is definitely a winner 🙂
I recently made this dish as well. LOVED it!! I’ll have to use Bucatini pasta next time- yours looks delicious.
Thanks – It’s a fabulous pasta recipe and the bucatini is perfect for this recipe. I just might not buy “spaghetti” any more and use bucatini with my marinara sauce too!
This looks so good! One of my favorites pasta dishes. As you said, it’s amazing how so much flavor can come from a few ingredients. 🙂
Thanks Ronit – even though I love garlic, basil, tomatoes and such this recipe is fantastic without them 🙂
Oh yes, I will not say no to one of these pasta dishes either… 🙂
This looks so yummy
Thanks Lynne – we sure did enjoy it.
As you said the choice of pasta makes a whole lot of difference. The creamy sauce has seeped in so well. What a hearty comforting meal Aunt Juju
Thanks Ana – bucatini is a new favorite pasta. I will use it with my marinara sauce too.
Oh my gosh Judi this looks amazing. John and I love the bucatini and this just looks like creamy goodness!
It was very good Julie and the bucatini made a difference. First time I made it with fettucine and the sauce did clump up a bit. Then I followed my own specific cooking directions, amount of water, etc. and it turned out perfect 🙂
Judi, I want to run out and get bucatini right now…I am imagining your yummy sauce inside the hollow bucatini pasta and drooling here 🙂
Thanks Sandhya – I hope you do try this pasta, bucatini as you will love it. We were “drooling” too as we ate it – very good and comforting on a cold, winter night 🙂
I’ve made this before but couldn’t find the bucatini, so had to use regular spaghetti. It looks delicious!
Thank you Kathryn – the bucatini is a good choice for this recipe and I’m glad I tried it. It will be a regular pasta in my kitchen for my marinara sauce as well as this cheese sauce.
Yummy & simple, best food 😊
Thanks – it’s “comfort” food for sure and perfect when you’re craving carbs 🙂
I agree!
I’ve never heard of bucatini, it looks cool!
It is cool Elaine and soaks up a good creamy cheese or marinara sauce!
👍🏻
Beautiful. Looks like you nailed it! And I love that you used bucatini!
Thanks – it’s a recipe that can be made to taste but the bucatini is a definite plus!
Ahh nothing quite like a lovely creamy bowl of pasta, and bucatini no less. I’m sure the lovely cheese sauce married the bucatini real well 🙂
You can say that again Loretta – a perfect match 🙂
Pasta dishes are a weakness of mine 😉 Delicious!
Thanks – mine too Antonia!
Love love this dish. So simple and so delicious! Yum yum yum!
Thanks – if you love pasta with a delicious cheese sauce you will really enjoy this recipe.
My kind of meal! Yumm
Mine too Lynn!
Who doesn’t love a great pasta dish – sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing with FF:)