Description
Classic Italian pasta, this peas & cheese bucatini showcases simple ingredients with elegant simplicity. Home cooks can savor creamy textures and fresh flavors that transport diners straight to Mediterranean kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) bucatini pasta
- 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas
- ¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) pasta water
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Fill a large pot with salted water, bringing to a vigorous boil. Immerse bucatini and cook according to package instructions, reserving a cup of starchy cooking liquid.
- Flavor Foundation: In a skillet, warm olive oil and gently toast black pepper for 30 seconds, releasing its robust aromatics and creating a flavor base for the sauce.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk parmesan, pecorino romano, salt, and reserved pasta water into the skillet, crafting a smooth, velvety sauce that will cling perfectly to the pasta.
- Pasta Integration: Transfer drained bucatini into the skillet, gently tossing over low heat to ensure each strand becomes luxuriously coated with the cheese sauce, allowing the flavors to meld seamlessly.
- Final Touch: Fold in frozen green peas, warming them through while maintaining the sauce’s creamy consistency and ensuring even distribution throughout the dish.
- Serving: Plate immediately while steaming hot, presenting a harmonious blend of cheesy, peppery pasta with vibrant green peas, ready to be savored.
Notes
- Master Pasta Water Technique: Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water before draining, as this liquid gold helps create a silky, emulsified sauce with perfect consistency.
- Pepper Blooming Trick: Toast black pepper in olive oil for exactly 30 seconds to unlock its deepest, most complex flavor profile and enhance the overall dish’s aromatic quality.
- Cheese Melting Secret: Whisk cheese gradually and continuously to prevent clumping, ensuring a smooth, creamy sauce that coats every pasta strand evenly.
- Frozen Pea Pro Tip: Add frozen peas at the end and warm them gently to maintain their bright color and prevent overcooking, preserving their sweet, fresh texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 577
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 232 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg