History and Recipe of Cacio e Pepe

In the heart of Roman tradition comes the story of cacio e pepe.

Describing a dish as iconic as cacio e pepe could be difficult, as finding words for a delicacy as well known as the Colosseum, which has now become an integral part of not only Roman cuisine but national cuisine, could lead to a series of obviousness.

It is in fact a traditional first course which at every forkful, whether it is tonnarelli, mezze maniche or spaghetti, is able to transmit all the genuineness of its origins, leading to an enogastronomical experience capable of satisfying all the senses.

If at the appearance it could seem a simple dish and made of few ingredients, in reality it is rather complex, as the key step for the success is the realization of a thick cream but at the same time not dry, capable of amalgamating the components with taste and lightness.

Origins of Cacio e Pepe

We are talking about a dish which has its roots in the most genuine traditions, such as transhumance, when shepherds needed to move their flock for long periods of time and brought with them products which slowly perish, such as cacio cheese and peppercorns, with which they used to make simple and nutritious recipes.

Thanks to dried spaghetti this mix of ingredients has become one of the most famous and appreciated recipes of the Latium region, which in the course of time has been improved and sometimes also revisited by adding other particular elements, becoming a typical dish found in all Roman taverns.

Lovers of the classic recipe will find below the real original recipe, so as to bring to the table a delicious dish made to perfection!

The Roman recipe

The ingredients for 4 people

• 350 grams of spaghetti (alternatively mezze maniche or tonnarelli)
• 200 grams of very mature Roman pecorino cheese
• black peppercorns
• a pinch of fine salt

Preparation

Given the scarcity and simplicity of the ingredients, the key to an excellent cacio e pepe pasta is its preparation, which must follow strict timings in order to avoid the result being too dry and uninviting.

The first step is to grate the pecorino finely with the proper tool and put it aside in a bowl.

While you are doing this, you can already boil the water, because in reality the time needed to make the pasta is rather quick and timed, so pay close attention to the cooking of the pasta!

The suggestion is to use water for half of the pot, so that the concentration of starch is at the highest level and the result is definitely creamier. These are small precautions, but they can make the difference between a good result and a wow result, so follow these tips to the letter.

Salt the water but not excessively, as cheese is definitely savory when it is seasoned and it will be possible to adjust it while the spaghetti or the chosen pasta format is cooking.

At this point, the peppercorns must be ground on a special cutting board (see zwilling cutting board), using a pestle and making sure it is reduced in very small pieces in order to avoid it from bothering the palate but at the same time it can release all the characteristic aromas.

In a pan place half of the ground pepper, toast it for a few minutes and then add the water of the pasta with a ladle, in order to mix it with the starch.

After tasting the spaghetti and seeing that they are al dente, pour them into the same pan and continue cooking along with the pepper.

Moving with steel or nylon tongs the pasta, continue to stir and add more cooking water to make a first cream just using the starch in the pan.

Respecting the timings just indicated, in order to prevent the cream from thickening too much, start preparing the cheese mixture by pouring the pecorino cheese into a large bowl.

Using only the cooking water and a whisk to mix, proceed to melt the cheese making sure to eliminate lumps and adding all the pecorino until the dose is finished.

At this point a cream of the right consistency should have formed, so add it to the pasta that has finished cooking, using a few more ladles of starch-rich water in case it seems too dry.

As youpour in the mixture, move the spaghetti with tongs to prevent it from sticking together and not maintaining the right consistency.

If you love cheese, you can add a sprinkling of grated pecorino (try the Premium Zester Microplane Grater) which will give an extra note of flavor.

In order not to lose a single gram of flavor, the best way to fully enjoy an excellent cacio e pepe is to eat it freshly made and still warm, because with the passage of time it could become excessively sticky, especially if you use a type of pasta such as tonnarelli or a water and flour variant.

Now that you have learned the secret, all that remains is to wish you and your guests bon appetit!