You will want to work quickly to prepare this recipe. Bring 4 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the bucatini and cook for 9 minutes. Do not drain the pasta.
1 lb bucatini pasta
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add cracked pepper to the pan and roast for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, grate the garlic cloves into the pan and stir. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Toasting the pepper releases the flavor and aroma of the peppercorn into this dish. This is the traditional way to prepare the dish and will serve as the base of the sauce. The grated garlic melts into the sauce and is a quicker way to cook the garlic.
2 teaspoon fresh cracked peppercorn, 3 garlic cloves
Add ½ cup of the pasta water to the frying pan and stir well. The water will boil and steam once poured into the pan.
Next, grate the pecorino and parmesan cheeses into a bowl. Add ¼ cup of hot pasta water to the cheese and stir. Stir until the cheese is slightly melted and smooth. This will be the creamy sauce the pasta is served in.
1 cup fresh grated Pecorino cheese, ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Use tongs to remove the bucatini from the pasta water and add it to the frying pan with the pepper and garlic. Add ½ cup of pasta water and stir. Continue to stir the bucatini for 3 minutes. The pasta will finish cooking during this time and stirring helps to evenly cook it while infusing with the pepper. Turn off the heat but keep the pan on the burner.
Add the cheese to the pasta. Stir and mix well to melt the cheese and evenly coat the pasta.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, additional pepper, and pecorino cheese.
Fresh chopped parsley, Cracked peppercorn, Shredded Pecorino cheese