Cacio e Pepe

A creamy pecorino emulsion coating every spaghetti strand, sharpened by the bite of toasted black pepper. The sauce must be perfectly bound and smooth, using the starchy pasta water.

• Prep time: 5 min
• Cook time: 10 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 580
• Protein: 27 g
• Carbs: 80 g
• Fat: 17 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Spaghetti ( whole )
• 200 g Pecorino cheese (sheep cheese) ( finely grated )
• 2 tbsp Black peppercorns ( crushed with a mortar )
• 2 pinch Gray sea salt ( for the cooking water )

Instructions

1. Toasting the pepper

   Crush the black peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Heat them in a dry pan over medium heat. As soon as the pepper's aroma fills the kitchen and it starts to smoke slightly, pour in a ladle of boiling water to stop the cooking process.

2. Cooking the pasta

   Drop the spaghetti into boiling water with very little salt (the cheese is already salty). Use less water than usual to concentrate the starch. Remove the pasta with tongs two minutes before the end of the cooking time; they should be very firm.

3. Preparing the cream

   While the pasta cooks, mix the finely grated pecorino with a bit of warm pasta water in a bowl. Whisk until you get a thick, smooth paste without any lumps.

4. Final emulsion

   Put the pasta into the pan with the pepper. Add pasta water and finish cooking while stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, wait 30 seconds, then add the pecorino cream. Stir vigorously: the sauce should become glossy and coat the pasta.

Chef's tips

• Temperature is the secret: if the heat is on when you add the cheese, it will clump and become stringy.
• Use as little water as possible to cook your pasta; the water should be cloudy and starchy to bind the sauce.

Storage

Consume immediately. This dish does not reheat well as the emulsion will break and the cheese will turn rubbery.