Cacio e Pepe
Following our experience of ‘Cacio e Pepe’ in Rome, I have been trying to replicate the meal for a while, and I think the recipe below is just close enough without being able to bring the whole restaurant atmosphere here. The direct translation to “cheese and pepper” from Italian typifies how simple this dish is, with just a couple of ingredients quickly brought together to create and a warming and comforting bowl of food. We used a pasta called ‘Fusilli Lunch Col Buci’, mainly because we liked the crazy shape, but it is traditionally made in Tuscany using the thick Pici noodles (and also with no butter, but this makes it creamier). Next time I’d love to try and make my own Pici! We served it with fresh pea shoots from Pale Green Dot simply dressed with olive oil and lemon juice to cut through the heavy nature of the pasta.
For 2 people
Ingredients
Sea salt
250g pasta
40g salted butter
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
60g pecorino
80ml pasta water
Method
Boil a pot of water for the pasta and season with a good two pinches of sea salt.
Follow the cooking time given for your pasta of choice, ours was 12 minutes, so we cooked it for about 11 minutes to make sure it was slightly al dente.
Once the pasta has about 2 minutes left, start to melt the butter in a pan on a low heat with 40ml of the starchy pasta water. Once melted, add the pepper. Keep it on a low heat.
When the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it directly to the sauce pot without draining. Don’t throw the water away!
Sprinkle the cheese and a pinch of sea salt over the pasta, and let it melt on the low heat without stirring.
Then add the last 40ml of pasta water and stir the whole mixture gently until combined.
Serve straight away and eat while piping hot for the juiciest texture.
