Cacio e Pepe Pasta with Pecorino Romano

If you’ve ever tried preparing homemade cacio e pepe and found it challenging, let me show you some of my tricks! I make a creamy-textured, no-clump sauce that tastes oh-so-savory, pleasantly salty, and not too spicy. Paired with al dente bucatini (or other long pasta), this is one of those pantry pasta recipes you’ll want in your back pocket.

Authentic cacio e pepe (say “ka-chee-o-peh-pay”) means cheese and pepper in Italian. What could be simpler? Like a classic fettuccine alfredo recipe, it handful of ingredients including ground black pepper, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and dried pasta come together to make something iconic.

• 5 tablespoons (70 g) butter, salted or unsalted
• 2 teaspoons (5 g) coarsely ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces (250 g) dried pasta, such as bucatini or spaghetti, preferably bronze-cut
• 2 cups (75 g) (lightly packed) very finely grated pecorino Romano cheese, grated with a rasp grater or the smallest holes on a box grater; at room temperature