Cacio e pepe
A traditional cacio e pepe recipe, and something I still haven’t been able to perfect. Every time I make it the pecorino still tends to sieze, indicating that the pan is still too hot when adding the cheese. I have attempted to make the sauce in advance (with cornflour to thicken and stabilize it, like they commonly do in restaurants) and this worked out much better, but I still want to aim to nail the traditional version.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 200g spaghetti
- 80g pecorino romano (finely grated, room temp)
STEPS
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Toast the peppercorns in a very hot, dry pan until fragrant, then roughly crush.
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Bring a wide shallow pan of well-salted water to the boil, then add the pasta; it should be covered but not by much. Stir occasionally during cooking and, five minutes into the cooking time, scoop out 250ml water into a wide bowl to allow it to cool slightly.
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Drain the pasta and leave it to cool for a minute. Meanwhile, put the cheese and most of the pepper in a large, heavy bowl or pan and whisk in some of the pasta water very gradually to make first a paste, and then a sauce the consistency of bechamel. Add the pasta and toss furiously while adding enough of the water (you shouldn’t need it all) to make a sauce that coats each strand. Don’t worry if it takes a while to come together – keep beating and it should happen.
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Divide between warm bowls, sprinkle over a little more pepper, and serve immediately.
