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
 |
| 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. |
No comments:
Post a Comment