Cacio E Pepe White Beans Skillet

Craving 5-star flavors at home on a weeknight? Make these cacio e pepe white beans. Using just six ingredients, this classy one-pan dinner promises the luscious richness and bold flavors of a fine dining restaurant in just 15 minutes. Here are some tips on how to make it.

The beans:
Cannellini beans are usually my white bean of choice. Large and creamy, they’re amazing in everything from chili to dips, and they serve as a perfect blank canvas here for the cheese and black pepper. That said, if you don’t have them, navy or great northern beans would also work well.

While I typically rinse canned beans before using them, in this case, I recommend simply draining them. The excess canning liquid that clings to the beans will help thicken the sauce (see below!).

The sauce:
Typical cacio e pepe pasta is thickened with a combination of cheese and starch from the pasta. Here we’re harnessing the starch of the beans to create a creamy, luscious sauce. The sauce will continue to solidify as it cools, but don’t worry: If it gets too thick, you can always loosen it up by adding a few tablespoons of water.

Storage:
These beans are best the day they’re made, but any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since the sauce will thicken as it sits, I highly recommend adding a few tablespoons of water to the beans before reheating them.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!