Spaghetti cacio e pepe

Ingredients

• spaghetti or tonnarelli (80 g)
• medium-aged pecorino romano (50 g)
• black pepper (as needed)

Method

1. Cook the pasta (use 0.5 L water for every 80 g pasta).
   1. If needed, use a small/narrow pot so the pasta is covered even with little water.
2. While the pasta cooks, toast the pepper in a pan (the same one you’ll use to finish the pasta) until very fragrant.
3. Make the “cooking bed”: add 3 ladles of pasta water to the pan with pepper to infuse. Reduce the liquid.
4. After 5 minutes of boiling, transfer the pasta (still undercooked) into the pan with the pepper infusion.
5. Add 1–2 ladles of pasta water and finish cooking over medium heat, stirring often for even cooking.
6. Make the pecorino cream:
   1. Put all the pecorino in a bowl.
   2. Take pasta water in a 1:2 ratio (25 g pasta water per 50 g pecorino).
      1. Important: the water temperature must NOT go above 60 °C.
   3. Pour the water in a thin stream over the grated pecorino, mixing immediately and often.
      1. The final texture should be similar to ricotta.
7. Once the pasta is cooked, REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE HEAT.
8. Add the pecorino cream and toss quickly to let the pasta “breathe.”
9. Keep tossing for 45–90 seconds, until the cream starts to thicken.
10. Plate while the sauce is still slightly fluid, as it will keep thickening on the plate.

Notes

• The starch in pasta water is essential to bind the cheese proteins and fats.
• Don’t toss too long, or the sauce will get too thick.
• Water temperature is crucial to avoid the pecorino curdling.

Attachments

video