Improved TikTok-Famous Cacio E Pepe Butter Beans Recipe

Cacio e pepe butter beans have taken TikTok by storm, and what's not to love? The dish builds on cacio e pepe, a classic Roman pasta recipe that features a simple ingredient list of pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper. The creamy, decadent pasta dish that results is anything but simple, though, which is one of the qualities that make Roman pasta unique. Now, subtract the pasta and add butter beans, which are an especially hearty, creamy, and large bean, and voilà, you've got cacio e pepe butter beans.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for an improved version of these TikTok-famous cacio e pepe butter beans. Bottalico, who specializes in Italian food, started with the traditional cacio e pepe recipe and tweaked the method to work for beans. She also added a couple of ingredients and steps to infuse more flavor into the dish. Grinding black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and then toasting the ground pepper gives them an extra-strong flavor and aroma. Shallots are sauteed and the pan is deglazed before the beans are added, which adds a deep, caramelized flavor. And, last but definitely not least, the Pecorino Romano rind is not wasted but simmered with the beans to slowly infuse them with a rich, salty, and umami flavor that elevates the dish. Next time you're craving Italian, try this fun take on an ancient classic; you won't be disappointed.

For this recipe, you will first need a wedge of Pecorino Romano cheese. Purchase a wedge instead of a pre-grated package because the rind is an ingredient in the recipe. The next ingredient is whole black peppercorns — crushing them is part of the recipe. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a pepper mill or, if necessary, pre-ground black pepper, although it won't have quite as much flavor. The other ingredients are olive oil, a shallot, salt, and canned butter beans.

Grate the Pecorino until you have 1 cup grated cheese. Slice off the rind, removing any wax or paper labeling, if present. Set aside.

Crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, leaving some larger pieces.

Heat a dry pan on low. Place the ground pepper in the pan to toast for about 3–5 minutes. As soon as the aroma starts to change, remove the pan from the heat so the pepper doesn't burn. Transfer the pepper to a dish.

Place the pan back on the stove, raise the heat to medium, and add the oil.

When the oil is hot, add the shallot and a pinch of salt and saute for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and browned. Lower the heat to medium-low if the shallots seem like they're about to burn.

When the oil is hot, add the shallot and a pinch of salt and saute for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and browned. Lower the heat to medium-low if the shallots seem like they're about to burn.

Bring to a simmer and drop in the Pecorino rind. Let simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the flavors meld and the liquid has mostly reduced and thickened.

Toward the end of the cooking time, heat a ladleful of salted water in a small pot until it just comes to a gentle simmer, about the same temperature as the beans.

When the beans are almost finished, place the grated Pecorino in a metal bowl. Quickly and energetically whisk in just enough of the hot water from the last step to form a thick, pasty cream.

Remove the beans from the heat and remove the Pecorino rind (you can save it to eat). Quickly add the Pecorino cream to the beans and stir well to mix. Add more grated Pecorino or hot salted water to adjust the texture, if necessary.

Serve immediately with more grated Pecorino and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Cacio e pepe is a classic Roman recipe that belongs to the core four traditional Roman pasta dishes that are well-known outside of Italy. The other three are pasta alla gricia, pasta all'amatriciana, and pasta alla carbonara. A few ingredients pop up repeatedly in these recipes, namely guanciale (which is pork jowl), Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and dried pasta. That's because the dishes have origins in the pastoral region of Lazio and surrounding areas. Shepherds and travelers would carry ingredients with a long shelf life that could be transported by mule over long distances. There are variations, of course. For example, pasta all'amatriciana adds tomatoes and pasta alla carbonara adds eggs. 

Cacio e pepe leaves the guanciale out and puts the emphasis on the Pecorino Romano. It's a creamy vegetarian dish that is simple in its pure form. Cacio e pepe is often served with dried spaghetti or a fresh pasta called tonnarelli. To make it, you first boil pasta in salted water. When the pasta is almost finished, you'll add a little of the cooking water to a bowl containing freshly grated Pecorino Romano and whisk it energetically to make a dense cream. Then, you'll toss the al dente pasta with the cream and serve it with freshly ground black pepper. Keeping the cheesy cream off the heat is the key to preventing it from forming unappetizing clumps.

Many people throw out the Pecorino Romano rind once they've grated the wedge down to almost nothing. If this is you, reconsider tossing this small but flavorful bit of cheesy goodness. The rind is safe to consume because it's simply part of the actual cheese. As Pecorino wheels age, the exterior, which is exposed to air, hardens. This forms a rind that has a different texture than the softer interior. Just make sure it doesn't have any paper or wax labeling on it before you use it. If so, you can peel it off.

Eating the rind itself may not be the most enjoyable way to use it. It's pretty thin and will have dried out after sitting, so the texture isn't the most inviting. Instead of biting into it, toss the rind into a pot of soup or tomato sauce to give the dish extra flavor. Similarly, use it to flavor simmering beans like we've done in this recipe. Finally, include a Pecorino or Parmigiano rind in a broth along with other ingredients like onion, garlic, white wine, and herbs, and prepare to be amazed at the resulting flavor. The rind will soften as it simmers, so you can slice it and enjoy it after you take it out of the cooked dish. Just don't wait too long, because it will harden again as it sits out.