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partial view of cacio e pepe in a white bowl
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5 from 54 votes

Authentic Cacio e Pepe

You're going to love my Cacio e Pepe Recipe! It only takes five ingredients to make this deliciously cheesy, creamy, classic Italian pasta dish. And the best part is it only takes 10 minutes to prepare, making the perfect simple recipe for a weeknight meal.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2
Calories: 1126kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces bucatini
  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup water from cooking pasta reserve cooking water when draining pasta

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water over high heat, adding one teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
  • While the pasta water is boiling, add the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat to melt the butter.
  • When the butter has fully melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the black pepper to the butter.
  • Cook the pasta, per instructions on the package for al dente pasta.
  • Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. You shouldn't need all the water, but having more than you need is okay.
  • Place the drained cooked pasta into the large skillet over low heat.
  • Add ½ cup of the pasta water along with the Romano cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano to the pasta and toss until the cheese melts and creates a creamy sauce.
    At this point add additional water if the mixture isn't creamy.
    Be careful not to take too long to mix the pasta together as the cheese will start to get gooey instead of creamy.
  • Serve the pasta with additional grated cheese and black pepper. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 1126kcal | Carbohydrates: 130g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1108IU | Calcium: 875mg | Iron: 3mg