20 Best Bucatini Recipes (+ Easy Pasta Dishes)

If you’re getting bored with the same old pasta dishes, check out these bucatini recipes!

Never heard of bucatini? Then it’s time to become acquainted with this interesting Roman noodle! 

Bucatini is essentially a thick, hollow spaghetti. It has a long hole running down its center that is perfect for catching pasta sauces. 

Not only does it make every bite of pasta more flavorful, but it also adds a wonderful chewy texture to every dish. 

From creamy carbonara to meaty Bolognese, there are so many bucatini recipes to try.

Let’s dive in!

1. Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Bucatini is the perfect pasta shape for cacio e pepe. Its hollow shape captures all that cheesy, creamy sauce. 

If you’re not familiar with cacio e pepe, you can think of it as kind of like a posh mac and cheese. However, its humble origins are anything but fancy!

It was actually a peasant dish created by Roman sheep farmers.

They had little time and money and used the cheese from the sheep to make a quick and easy meal. Fascinating stuff!

2. Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Looking for something a little more flavorful than a simple marinara sauce? Try out this bucatini all’Amatriciana!

Pan-fried, crispy pancetta adds extra saltiness and flavor to a simple tomato sauce.

The chewy bite of the bucatini stands up so well in the rich sauce.

If you’re in a pinch, you can always sub in bacon for pancetta. But if you can, get the good stuff! It’s worth it. 

3. Bucatini Pasta With Garlic Butter Sauce

The next time you’re craving something a little special, try out this bucatini pasta with garlic butter sauce.

This dish ticks all the boxes. It’s creamy and comforting, while also being a little fancy and ever so elegant. 

Bucatini noodles are smothered in a rich white wine and garlic butter sauce.

Everything’s tossed with baby spinach and shiitake mushrooms for the perfect meal. Delish. 

4. Bucatini Carbonara

You can keep the heavy cream. This bucatini carbonara is the real deal. 

Carbonara is a simple Italian dish from Rome. It traditionally only uses a handful of ingredients.

The secret to its creaminess is a wonderful, velvety, cheese sauce made using eggs.

The heartiness comes from guanciale: an Italian cured meat prepared from pork cheeks.

It can be a little tricky to get your hands on, so you can always use pancetta instead. 

(Check out this post ‘what is guanciale‘ if you’re curious.)

5. Bucatini with Spinach, Bacon, and Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Need a tasty, easy meal on the table in 30 minutes? This bucatini with spinach, bacon, and creamy parmesan sauce has you covered!

Chewy bucatini noodles are smothered in a luxurious parmesan sauce. It coats every noodle and even gets inside. Yum!

Spinach and bacon add an extra depth of flavor and heartiness. This is the ultimate comfort food for a weeknight dinner. 

6. Garlic Cream Bucatini with Peas and Asparagus

Take advantage of spring veggies! Cook up something magical with this garlic cream bucatini with peas and asparagus.

Bucatini noodles are tossed with a creamy sauce and buttery bits of asparagus and peas. Need I say more?

Bursting with spring flavors, you won’t be able to stop eating this vibrant dish. 

7. 15-Minute Bucatini Marinara with Ricotta

This 15-minute bucatini marinara with ricotta is perfect for when you’re strapped on time.

It doesn’t get easier than this! Just because you have a jam-packed week doesn’t mean you have to miss out on good home-cooked food!

With just a handful of ingredients, you can throw this wonderful dish together.

Grab some ricotta, bucatini, garlic, basil, and chopped tomatoes, and you’re good to go. 

8. Bucatini in Vodka Sauce

Whip up this bucatini in vodka sauce for dinner and the whole family will be begging for seconds!

This dish is loaded with creamy, rich vodka sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

If you’re used to buying your vodka sauce in jars, try giving this homemade recipe a go.

Homemade sauce is undefeatable. It gets into every nook and cranny of the chewy bucatini. Truly sensational. 

9. Bucatini Bolognese

Some things are worth the extra effort. Like this bucatini Bolognese! It’s a true labor of love.

The key to developing all that rich, meaty flavor is leaving the sauce to simmer for over 2 hours.

One bite of this pasta’s tantalizing textures and flavors, and you’ll see why it’s worth every minute. 

Serve up with some crusty garlic bread and a fresh garden salad for the perfect meal. Yum!

10. Homemade Bucatini Primavera

Fancy a challenge? Try making your very own pasta with this homemade bucatini primavera recipe!

It’s a lot simpler than you might think.

Grab a Gourmet Pasta Press and watch how your dough is transformed into amazing bucatini noodles.

Now for the sauce: an easy chicken broth and white wine base is flavored with basil, garlic, and lemon juice.

Toss it with your cooked noodles and enjoy!

11. Mucci’s Bucatini

This Mucci’s bucatini copycat recipe is smoky, spicy, and oh-so-delicious!

Similar to an arrabbiata, red sauce is simmered with red pepper flakes to infuse it with spice.

The Mucci’s twist is tossing in pepperoncini for an even bigger heat boost.

You also want to throw in some Italian sausage and pancetta for a smoky, savory flavor.

12. Bucatini alla Puttanesca

If you’re on the hunt for a pasta dish that really packs a flavorful; punch, look no further than this bucatini alla puttanesca.

Bucatini noodles are drenched in a tomato sauce that’s flavored with olives, anchovy, oregano, and capers. 

Did you know that puttanesca was named after the “ladies of the night” who allegedly cooked it to seduce their clients? Well, now you do! 

13. Bucatini With Sicilian Meatballs

There’s nothing that screams comfort like pasta and meatballs. And this bucatini with Sicilian meatballs is the best.

This is the perfect meal to cook for the whole family on a lazy Sunday.

It’s packed with the most succulent meatballs and chewy bucatini noodles. Yum.

Serve this pasta dish piping hot with some grated parmesan cheese. You’re guaranteed to have clean plates all around the dinner table!

14. Bucatini With Meat Sauce

Have a spare jarred marinara sauce at the back of your pantry? Grab it and turn it into this delicious bucatini with meat sauce.

Plain old marina is taken to new flavor heights in this amazing recipe!

This tasty meat sauce uses ground beef and pancetta to add so much more flavor to every bite.

This is a fantastic weeknight meal for when you’re low on ingredients and short on time. 

15. Baked Pesto Bucatini With Burst Tomatoes

If you love baked pasta dishes, you’ll love this baked pesto bucatini with burst tomatoes. 

Herb bucatini noodles are covered in melted cheese, tomatoes, and crunchy breadcrumbs.

And don’t get me started on that homemade pesto sauce. It’s simply divine.

The best part about this dish is the texture. From the chewy bucatini noodles to the toasted breadcrumbs, there’s so much to love. 

16. Oven-Roasted Tomato Bucatini

Impress dinner guests with this delicious oven-roasted tomato bucatini. It requires minimal effort for maximum taste!

Simply throw cherry tomatoes in the oven with olive oil, herbs, and sliced garlic. 

Once cooked, they turn into the most amazing little savory-sweet-sour flavor bombs.

Toss them with cooked bucatini noodles, capers, and fresh basil. That’s all there is to it!

17. Caporalessa Bucatini

This caporalessa bucatini is a cheese lover’s dream come true! It’s loaded with four kinds of cheese and baked until golden brown.

Packed with tasty goodies, this cheesy baked pasta is bursting with flavors. It’s chock full of eggplant, capers, and olives. Delish!

To make this dish even more special, bake it in individual baking dishes.

Your dinner guests will feel like they just stepped into a restaurant!

18. Baked Feta Cheese Pasta With Bucatini

If you have a block of feta cheese you don’t know what to do with, whip up this baked feta cheese pasta with bucatini.

It’s cheesy, creamy, and oozing with the most amazing fresh flavors. And it’s so easy to make!

All you have to do is put cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and a block of feta into a baking dish and into the oven.

Once the cheese has melted, season it, and toss in the bucatini noodles. Done!

19. BLT Bucatini Pasta Salad

Swap out your everyday sandwich for this BLT bucatini pasta salad! 

I absolutely adore summer pasta salads. And this one is definitely one of my favorites.

It’s filled with bacon, spinach, and tomatoes, and it’s doused in a sun-dried tomato sauce.

Bring this to your next backyard barbecue, potluck, or picnic. It’s always a hit.

20. Lemon Garlic Bucatini

Looking for a quick and easy no-fuss pasta recipe? This lemon garlic bucatini is just the ticket. 

You only need six ingredients and 15 minutes to throw this lemon and garlic dream together! Perfect for busy weeknights.

The bucatini noodles work wonderfully in this recipe.

Their hollow center makes sure not a single drop of buttery sauce goes to waste.