Spaghetti Cacio e pepe

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Spaghetti al dente wrapped in a tasty cream of pecorino and freshly ground pepper.

4 servings

Easy

Lazio

EasyLazio

Spaghetti cacio e pepe I am a first course essential and decisive, suitable for a lunch or dinner in which few ingredients need to express themselves with precision. The recipe is based on the balance between the intense flavour of the pecorino, the pungent aroma of freshly ground pepper, and the firm texture of thick spaghetti. The cooking water plays an important technical role: its starch helps bind the cheese to the pasta and contributes to a creamy sauce, without the addition of other fats or sauces. The pasta must remain al dente Don't drain it completely, so the residual moisture facilitates mixing in the hot bowl. This dish is a traditional Lazio dish.

Instructions

Voice reading

7 steps · natural Italian voice

Bring the water to a boil

Bring to a boil Bring plenty of salted water to a large pot. Bring to a lively boil, which is necessary to cook the spaghetti evenly without interrupting the water's temperature.

Cook the spaghetti

Immerse the thick spaghetti in boiling water and cook them until they reach a consistency al denteCheck if they're cooked by tasting them: they should be tender on the outside but still firm in the center, without falling apart.

Get the water

Take some tablespoons of the cooking water before draining the pasta. Keep this warm, starchy water: it will help the pasta mix together. pecorino, pepper and spaghetti and to make the seasoning more homogeneous.

Drain without drying

Drain the spaghetti al dente Without letting them dry completely, transfer them to a warm bowl. Keep a small amount of the pasta cooking water on top so the sauce can spread more easily.

Join the pecorino

Add the pecorino grated on the still hot spaghetti and pour some tablespoons of the water kept aside. Proceed gradually, avoiding making the mixture too liquid: the cheese should start to bind to the mixture, forming a cream.

Vigorously stir with pepper

Grind the fresh pepper directly into the bowl and mix the spaghetti for a long time, pecorino and cooking water. Finish when the sauce appears well-blended, creamy, and adheres to the pasta, with no visible lumps.

Serve very hot

Serve the spaghetti immediately. cacio e pepe, still hot. The cream must remain fluid and enveloping when served, while the spaghetti must retain its consistency. al dente.

Chef's Tips

Pour the spaghetti into a hot bowl with a little cooking water and vigorously stir for a long time with pecorino and pepper: the cream must be smooth and enveloping, without lumps.