Bucatini with XO, butter and parmesan

Name: Bucatini with XO, butter and parmesan
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 500g bucatini or spaghetti; 100g XO sauce, plus extra to serve (see ‘Know how’); 150g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve; 125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed; 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to serve; Pinch chilli flakes to serve

Portion size: Serves 4-6
Prep time 5 min. Cook time 15 min
Difficulty: easy

Recipe by: Julie Lin

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This quick bucatini recipe from chef Julie Lin packs a lot of flavour. The pasta dish gets a huge boost of umami from XO sauce, all brought together with plenty of butter for a slick and glossy finish.

Julie says: “This is the dish I make for friends when I don’t have a lot of time on my hands, but it doubles up as a self-indulgent meal for one.. It’s the perfect blend of indulgence and simplicity, making it my go-to comfort food.”

An established chef and a regular on TV cooking shows, Julie is known for her engaging personality and exciting recipes. She has a restaurant in Glasgow called Ga Ga and her first book, Sama Sama (Ebury Press £28), will be released in May 2025. Follow Julie on Instagram @julielincooks

Before you start

Know-how You can get XO-style sauce from Waitrose these days, but for the proper, really good stuff, head to an Asian supermarket or search online. You could also try this with Andrew Wong’s XO sauce.

XO sauce originates from Hong Kong and is an umami-rich sauce made from dried seafood like scallops, dried fish and shrimp, cooked with chilli, onions, and garlic.

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Ingredients

500g bucatini or spaghetti
100g XO sauce, plus extra to serve (see ‘Know how’)
150g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
125g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
3 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to serve
Pinch chilli flakes to serve

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Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (still with some bite; about 8 minutes for bucatini, 7 for spaghetti).
While you wait, mix the XO sauce and parmesan to form a paste. Melt half the butter in a wide frying pan over a low-medium heat, then add the black pepper and cook for a minute or so until fragrant.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water, then add the cooked pasta to the frying pan. Tip in the XO mixture, then start tossing, adding splashes of the pasta water, until the sauce is smooth and coating every piece of pasta.
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Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining butter. Beat and toss vigorously until the sauce emulsifies and turns glossy. Season to taste with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and, if you like, a little more XO sauce and parmesan.