Cacio e pepe
Spaghetti tossed with finely grated pecorino, toasted black pepper and starchy pasta water into a smooth sauce that clings to every strand.
Method
- 1
Bring about 3 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan and salt it lightly, since the pecorino is already salty.
- 2
Toast the crushed pepper in a dry frying pan over medium heat until it smells fragrant.
- 3
Add a ladle of the boiling water to the pepper and let it bubble gently, then take the pan off the heat.
- 4
Put the pecorino in a mixing bowl.
- 5
Cook the spaghetti until about 2 minutes short of al dente.
- 6
Stir about 4 tablespoons of the pasta water, cooled for a minute, into the pecorino to make a thick, smooth paste.
- 7
Lift the spaghetti with tongs into the pepper pan and toss over medium heat with a splash of cooking water until al dente and coated in starchy liquid.
- 8
Take the pan off the heat and wait until it has stopped sizzling.
- 9
Add the pecorino paste and toss quickly and constantly until it melts into a creamy sauce.
- 10
Loosen with more pasta water, a spoonful at a time, if it looks thick, then serve at once with extra pepper.
Notes
- If the pan is too hot the cheese seizes into stringy clumps. Keep it off the heat and work quickly.
- Grate the pecorino on the finest side of the grater. Coarse shreds do not melt smoothly.
- Cooking the pasta in less water than usual gives starchier water, which helps the sauce come together.
Equipment
Large saucepan, Large frying pan, Mixing bowl, Fine grater, Tongs