POVERA CUCINA

Povera Cucina celebrates the rich tastes of Italy's humble pantry.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

CACIO E PEPE - CHEESY BLACK PEPPER PASTA



If you go to any trattoria in Rome -- whether expensive, touristy or a hole-in-the-wall -- you'll face the same choice: which pasta dish to get?  In a typical Roman joint, pasta gets served one of four (at most five) ways:  alla carbonara (eggs, grated cheese and pancetta), all'amatriciana (tomato, red pepper flakes, guanciale -- like pancetta), all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato sauce) or al cacio e pepe.

In Roman dialect, cacio means cheese.  Pepe is Italian for black pepper. Traditionally served with spaghetti or tonarelli (a fresh pasta thicker than spaghetti), cacio e pepe is Roman food at its most minimal and delicious.  To prepare this recipe, you simply mix the freshly-cooked pasta (still hot) with grated pecorino romano and a few hefty twists of black pepper.  In order make sure the cheese evenly melts over the pasta, add a ladle of hot pasta water before tossing it all together.

INGREDIENTS:
* 1 - 1.5 cups of finely grated pecorino romano
* 8 oz. of spaghetti cooked
* 1-2 tbs of fresh-ground black pepper
       
          WATCH:   CHEF MARK LADNER DEMOS "CACIO E PEPE"


  
Cook the spaghetti al dente in 3 quarts of salted water.  Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the pasta water still in the pan.  Do not pour the water down the drain.   Transfer the spaghetti to a large sautee / frying pan.  Coat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ladle in about 1/2 cup to 3/4 of a cup of the hot and starchy pasta water.  Warm the pan with pasta, water and oil over very low heat.


 Now, add both the fresh ground black pepper and grated pecorino to the still-hot pasta.  *Grate the pecorino when the water is coming to a boil -- so you have all of it ready to mix in.*  Quickly, toss the pasta, cheese, water and pepper.  Briefly heat this trio over a low flame until all the cheese has melted.  The starchy water, when mixed with melting cheese, will form a creamy glaze that coats the pasta.  Serve immediately. 

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