Roman Midnight Cacio e Pepe
The most deceptively simple pasta in the Italian canon -- just three ingredients transformed into something transcendent. Freshly cracked black pepper blooms in olive oil, then melds with starchy pasta water and a blizzard of Pecorino Romano to create a creamy, peppery, addictively savory sauce that clings to every strand of tonnarelli. Minimalism at its most magnificent.
Ingredients
- 1 lb tonnarelli, spaghetti, or bucatini
- 3 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 6 oz, use a Microplane)
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, freshly cracked
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
+ 1 more ingredient
Instructions
Crack the black peppercorns coarsely using a mortar and pestle or by crushing them under a heavy pan. You want irregular, craggy pieces -- not fine powder.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it less than usual (the Pecorino is quite salty). You need this water starchy, so use a smaller pot than you normally would for pasta.
Toast the cracked pepper in a large, dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until wildly fragrant and just beginning to smoke. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Remove from heat.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes short of al dente. While it cooks, ladle out 2 full cups of the starchy pasta water and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated Pecorino with about 3/4 cup of the warm (not boiling) pasta water. Stir vigorously with a fork until you have a thick, creamy paste. It should be the consistency of yogurt. Add more water a tablespoon at a time if needed.
Using tongs, transfer the still-dripping pasta directly from the pot into the pepper skillet. Toss over medium-low heat for 30 seconds, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen.
Remove the skillet from heat entirely. Add the Pecorino paste to the pasta and toss vigorously and constantly, lifting and turning the strands. The residual heat will melt the cheese into a creamy, emulsified sauce. Add small splashes of pasta water as needed -- you want glossy and flowing, never gummy or clumped.
Serve immediately on warmed plates with an extra grating of Pecorino and more cracked pepper on top.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI