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Butter bean cacio e pepe

By: Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 1 Aug 24
Updated: 28 Aug 24

Cacio e pepe is one of those classic pasta dishes that combines just a couple of ingredients but results in a meal that’s so much greater than the sum of its parts. Here, we’ve added creamy butter beans for extra fibre and goodness, and chosen long pasta bucatini or spaghetti for satisfying texture. Give it a go tonight!

Find more ways with butter beans here.

Easy
August 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 2
Hands-on time 20 min

Find more ways with butter beans here.

Vegetarian recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 606kcals
Fat: 15g (8.3g saturated)
Protein: 31g
Carbohydrates: 77g (3.7g sugars)
Fibre: 3.7g
Salt: 0.9g

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Ingredients

150g bucatini or spaghetti
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ x 600g jar or 1 x 400g tin good quality butter beans, drained
60g pecorino (or vegetarian hard cheese), finely grated
10g salted butter

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Method

Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water for 2 minutes less than the pack instructions or until al dente.
Meanwhile, crush the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar to give a mixture of small and larger flecks. Heat a medium frying or sauté pan over a medium heat, add the pepper and toast for a minute until fragrant. Tip in the drained beans, adding 1 tbsp of the water from the pasta pan. Cook gently, stirring regularly, for about 4 minutes to heat through.
When the pasta is done, use tongs to transfer it to the pan of beans, allowing a little of the water to make the journey with it. Add the pecorino and butter to the pan, plus another spoonful or two of the pasta cooking water, stirring constantly until everything is combined in a silky, creamy sauce. Season and divide between bowls.