Apr 6, 2010
Cheese and Pepper Pasta (Cacio e Pepe)
Less is more in this elemental Roman pasta dish, which takes its spiciness from cracked black pepper toasted in oil. We featured this pasta recipe as part of writer Anya von Bremzen's ode to Rome, "Eternal Pleasures," in our April 2010 issue.
pasta,cheese,pepper,cacio-e-pepe
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Credit: Helen Rosner
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. pasta, preferably tonnarelli or spaghetti
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
¾ cup finely grated Cacio de Roma
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until al dente, 8–10 minutes; reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add pepper; cook until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Ladle ¾ cup pasta water into skillet; bring to a boil. Using tongs, transfer pasta to skillet; spread it evenly. Sprinkle 3¾4 cup each Pecorino Romano and Cacio de Roma over pasta; toss vigorously to combine until sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta without clumping, about 2 minutes, adding some pasta water if necessary. Transfer to 4 plates and sprinkle with remaining Pecorino and more pepper.
Pairing Note
A medium-bodied sangiovese, like the 2005 Brancaia Tre Toscana, will complement this dish's peppery notes.
—David Rosengarten
This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #128
 Recipe - Saveur.com){kind=link}
I like to add some roughly chopped rucola selvatica at the end for some colour and an extra layer of peppery flavour. Buon appetito!
I like to add some roughly chopped rucola selvatica at the end for some colour and an extra layer of peppery flavour. Buon appetito!
Cacio de Roma - Once the cheese obtains its form, it is bathed in sea salt for 24 hours and then aged on wood in cellars for thirty days. The end result is a creamy textured sheep's milk cheese with a mild, balanced flavor finishing with a touch of fruit.
In addition to this, the texture of the dish was perfect – the ¾ c of pasta water kept the cheese from clumping. I find Cacio e Pepe so much better than the somewhat similar Fettuccine Alfredo. In fact, Cacio e Pepe is now my favorite pasta dish! It’s my new comfort food and it’s so quick and easy to prepare.