Improved TikTok-Famous Cacio e Pepe Butter Beans Recipe
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
38 minutes
Servings:
6 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 (7-ounce) wedge Pecorino Romano
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, heaping, plus more, for serving
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 pinches salt, divided
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
  1. Grate the Pecorino until you have 1 cup grated cheese. Slice off the rind, removing any wax or paper labeling, if present. Set aside.
  2. Crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, leaving some larger pieces.
  3. 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.
  4. Place the pan back on the stove, raise the heat to medium, and add the oil.
  5. 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.
  6. Deglaze the pan with water. Add the pepper back to the pan along with the beans, a pinch of salt, and 1 ½ cups water.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Serve immediately with more grated Pecorino and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.