Cacio e Pepe

 

They say sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to do.  Well that is certainly the case with this recipe.  I have been craving this pasta dish for some time and since hubby hasn't taken me to my favourite Italian restaurant I decided to investigate and make it for myself.  There are a few different interpretation's on google but I need to emphasise - good quality pasta makes, freshly ground black pepper and Pecorino Romano (sheep's milk) cheese are a must.  There are not many igredients so you must have top quality.  The main issue is trying to create a delicious creamy sauce with only a hard, dry aged cheese so follow carefully.

Ingredients

Good quality spaghetti, either dried or fresh

2 Teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

4 Tablespoons of EVOO

Salt to taste

30 g of unsalted butter

1 cup of very finely (microplane) grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for serving

Method

Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and approximately 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper in a medium skillet over medium heat until is starts to sizzle, about 1 minute.

Set aside

Place spaghetti in a large pan and cover with water, season with a small amount of salt.  You don't want a huge pan of water because you need the pasta water to have a high concentration of starch. 

Stir with a fork to untangle.

Cook spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet, having it cook 1 minute less than suggested.

Spoon 2 to 3 Tablespoons of pasta cooking water to the pepper and olive oil pan, stir in the butter and then add the spaghetti.

Stir with a fork and then add the cheese and the remaining olive oil, continue to stir until cheese is melted.

Add a few more tablespoons of pasta water to the pan to adjust consistency, reheating as necessary until the sauce is creamy and coats each strand of spaghetti.

Season to taste with salt and more black pepper.

Serve immediately passing extra grated cheese and ground black pepper at the table.

Note: if you end up with a film of melted cheese on the bottom of the pan, the pan had too much heat when combining the cheese and pasta.

Absolutely divine

Mamma Marmalade