Cacio e pepe, to me the one and only most delicious Italian pasta dish that I will order the night before a marathon at the given city of the race. The best cacio e pepe I have had to date was at Fiascheteria Pistoia in New York City in 2018 the night before the New York City Marathon. I have tried making this dish many times. Sadly, despite the short list of ingredients I have managed to mess it up time and time again. Finally, after many trials in the kitchen this is the one that sticks. My family was very happy with the results. It’s not the exact dish I had in New York, but for now, it will do. Enjoy!
Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- Sea salt
- 1 pound spaghetti or tonnarelli
- 2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
Prepare
- First, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Salt the water. When the salt has dissolved, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the Pecorino Romano, the pepper, and a small ladle of pasta cooking water. Using the back of a large wooden spoon, mix vigorously and quickly to form a paste.
3. When the pasta is cooked, use a large strainer to remove it from the cooking water and quickly add it to the sauce in the bowl, keeping the cooking water boiling on the stove. Toss vigorously, adjusting with additional hot water a tablespoon or two at a time as necessary to melt the cheese and to obtain a juicy sauce that completely coats the pasta.
4. Finally, plate and sprinkle each portion with some of the remaining Pecorino Romano and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
