Cacio e Pepe: It’s all in the ingredients

Any trip to Italy is going to be filled with food – good food. On a recent two week trip, almost every meal included a discussion about whether we could ever have a bad meal in the beautiful country known for carbs and wine.

We enjoyed simple dishes that far surpassed some of the most complicated dishes we ever dined on back home. A reminder that with a few really good ingredients you can create something that transcends any dining experience before it.

A great example of this is Cacio e Pepe. This simple Roman pasta dish saw us through several meals. Three ingredients (four if you count the cooking water) come together in a creamy pasta dish full of flavor. With only three ingredients each needs to be the best you can get, and thankfully that isn’t so hard with today’s shopping options.

So here are how the ingredients break down

1. Good dried spaghetti: We prefer the extra long pasta that we get at our local Italian market,but whatever you settle on make sure it has a good texture and isn’t too smooth. The texture will help the creamy sauce stick to the pasta. Do not break your spaghetti to fit it in the pot! As the pasta goes in gently push the top of the pasta down with a wooden spoon. As the submerged portion softens the rest of the dry pasta will sink into the boiling water. I’m not sure who taught me this, but I’ve always done it and according to old school Italian cooks it is the right way to put pasta in the pot.
2. Pecorino Romano: Depending how wide the cheese selection at your local store is this sheep’s  milk cheese might require a trip to a cheese hop, but it is completely worth it. The unique salty tang of this cheese can’t be matched and is the traditional version used for this dish. I prefer my cacio e pepe with all pecorino romano, but I know some people like the familiar flavor of Parmesan mixed in so they do half Parm and half Pecorino. Do whatever makes the dish the most enjoyable for you, but grate it yourself to get the full flavor.
3. Pepper: This ingredient has to be fresh ground right onto the dish for the best flavor. I bought my peppercorn mix in Italy because I found the straight peppercorn I got at my local grocery store didn’t give me the flavor I was looking for. Get a high quality peppercorn and enjoy it on this and other dishes – you will be able to tell the difference.

Cacio e Pepe

• Author: Ashley
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

This classic Roman pasta dish is a simple and delicious addition to your cooking repertoire. Be sure to use the highest quality ingredients you can get because with only three ingredients each one has to shine.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 420 grams dried spaghetti
• 250 grams grated Pecorino Romano
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Ladle of pasta water
• Salt

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Instructions

1. Bring your pasta water to a boil in a large pot.
2. While your water comes to a boil, grate your cheese and set aside.
3. Add salt right before you add the pasta. Use less than you normally add to your pasta water as the cheese is already salty.
4. Once your water comes to a full boil add your spaghetti. Gently push the strands into the water with a wooden spoon until they are fully submerged.
5. A few minutes before the pasta is done place your pasta bowl on top of the pot of boiling water to heat the bowl up. This helps the sauce come together later.
6. When your pasta is al dente, strain it and reserve one to two ladles of cooking water.
7. Place the strained pasta in the warmed dish and gradually add the grated cheese and pasta water, tossing between additions. Toss and add cheese and water until a creamy sauce forms and coats the pasta. If the sauce is too dry add water and if it is too watery add more cheese.
8. Place the tossed pasta in serving bowls and top with freshly ground pepper.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4-6 servings