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[1] Cacio e Pepe, a dish that dates to ancient Roman times (photos #1, #2, and #3 © DeLallo).
[2] If you make the recipe often, consider making compound butter to make the task quicker.
[3] While spaghetti is the classic cut, you can choose anything you’d like. Here, it’s gnocchi.
[4] Today’s DOP Pecorino Romano is the direct descendant of the sheep’s milk cheese that was the staple food of the Roman Empire more than 2000 years ago (photo © Talbott & Arding).
[5] Madagascar black peppercorns. Grind the pepper just before using it. Use a coarse grind, or if you prefer the texture, crack the peppercorns (photo © Aromatiques Tropicales).
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National Cacio e Pepe Day, November 14th, celebrates a pasta dish from ancient Rome.
Traditional Cacio e Pepe (KAH-chee-oh ay PEP-pay, meaning cheese and black pepper) uses spaghetti. But over the years almost all types of pasta have been combined with the sauce of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Go classic, or use an inspired cut of pasta.
The creamy sauce is called cremina, and the secret to a good Cacio e Pepe is finding the right balance between the cheese and the starchy cooking water. The original recipe does not include oil, butter, or cream to make the cremina—alternating the precise amount of ingredients and technique are crucial.
Some cooks argue that the best way to achieve success is to finish the cooking in a pan so as to allow the spaghetti to release its starch, which is fundamental for the sauce to amalgamate perfectly. Practice makes perfect!
> The history of Cacio e Pepe.
> The different types of Italian grating cheeses.
> The history of pasta.
> The different types of pasta: a glossary.
> A Cacio e Pepe recipe with zucchini noodles.
RECIPE: CACIO E PEPE
Prep time is 5 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes.
Here’s a video.
Thanks to DeLallo for the recipe.
Ingredients For 4 Servings
1 (1-pound) spaghetti
3 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups freshly-grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. BRING 5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Meanwhile…
2. MELT the butter in a large saucepan on low heat. Stir in the black pepper.
3. DRAIN the pasta, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.
4. TOSS the hot cooked pasta in the pan with the peppered butter to coat. Continuing to cook on low heat, stir in the grated cheese.
5. ADD the pasta water a little at a time as needed to make the sauce smoother and creamier as desired. Serve immediately.
10 VARIATIONS ON THE THEME OF CACIO E PEPE
Thanks to Flavor & The Menu for these yummy ideas.
Breakfast
Cacio e Pepe Congee: White rice chicken broth congee topped with poached egg, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and cracked black and green peppercorns.
Mains
Cacio e Pepe Calamari: Fried calamari tossed with smoked paprika brown butter, grated Manchego cheese, crushed pink peppercorns, and chopped pickled banana peppers.
Cacio e Pepe Chicken Wings: Fried chicken wings tossed with melted cultured butter, a touch of crema (or sour cream), and cracked tricolor peppercorns, topped with finely grated Pecorino Romano.
Cacio e Pepe Pizza: Neapolitan pizza, EVOO drizzle, buffalo mozzarella slices, grated Pecorino Romano, and cracked black peppercorns.
Potatoes
Cacio e Pepe Golden Mashers: Buttery Yukon Gold mashed potatoes topped with an EVOO drizzle, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and cracked tricolor peppercorns.
Cacio e Pepe Honey Butter Chips: Homemade potato chips and crispy pancetta rounds tossed with melted honey butter, sprinkled with grated Grana Padano cheese and crushed pink peppercorns.
Cacio e Pepe Rösti: Grated Idaho potatoes, yellow onion, Pecorino Romano cheese, cracked black and white peppercorns, fresh thyme; clarified butter pan-fried cake; cut wedges topped with finely grated Asiago.
Vegetables & Grains
Cacio e Pepe Arancini: Creamy balls of risotto blended with grated Pecorino Romano cheese, cracked black peppercorns, Calabrian chile flakes, zested lemon; breaded and fried.
Cacio e Pepe Butternut Noodles: Sesame oil-buttered butternut squash noodles tossed with cracked Sichuan peppercorns and sliced scallions, topped with grated Grana Padano.
Cacio e Pepe Oyster Mushrooms: Garlic butter sautéed oyster mushrooms topped with grated Mahón, cracked black peppercorns, and curly parsley.
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