Cacio e Pepe

La storia di questo piatto

Cacio e Pepe is Rome distilled to its barest truth: Pecorino Romano, black pepper and pasta, nothing more. It carries the quiet pride of a city that needs no ornament to be unforgettable.

Ingredienti

• 200 g Spaghetti or Tonnarelli
• 100 g Pecorino Romano DOP
• 2 teaspoons Black peppercorns (about half for finishing)
• 10 g Sea salt
• 2 liters Water for the pasta

Preparazione

1. Bring 2 liters of water to a boil in a large pot, covered to speed things up. Salt with 10 g of sea salt: keep it moderate, since Pecorino Romano is already very salty and the sauce concentrates at the end. Keep the heat high, with large, rapid bubbles.
2. While the water heats, coarsely crush the peppercorns in a mortar (not to a powder) and set aside about half for finishing. Pour the other half into a wide pan over medium heat and toast it, stirring constantly, for about one minute, until it smells warm and intense. Remove it from the heat as soon as its oils awaken, since it can burn and turn bitter in an instant. Then finely grate the Pecorino Romano on the small holes to obtain a very fine powder, and set aside about a fifth of the cheese for finishing; the rest (about 80%) goes into a large bowl.
3. When the water is boiling vigorously, add the spaghetti or tonnarelli and stir immediately with a wooden spoon so the strands don't stick. Check the cooking time on the package and drain 1 minute early, since the pasta will finish cooking in the pan. Taste it: it should still be al dente, with a small firm core.
4. When the pasta is halfway cooked, ladle out some of the starchy cooking water (the cloudy, whitish kind) and let it cool for a minute, then add a spoonful to the Pecorino in the bowl, working with a spoon until you have a smooth cream without lumps. It should be soft and silky, never grainy: if it feels gritty, add a few drops of the same water and keep stirring.
5. Before draining, scoop at least 2 cups of the cloudy, starch-rich cooking water and keep it in a bowl or pitcher beside the stove: this is the true secret to creaminess. Return the pan with the pepper to low heat, add a ladle of this water and let it simmer gently. Transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the pan with tongs, without rinsing, and toss over low heat for about a minute, until it absorbs some of the liquid.
6. Turn off the heat and move the pan away from the burner: it should stay warm but not on the flame, otherwise the cheese will seize and clump. With the pasta still steaming in the pepper, add the Pecorino cream and mantecare quickly and energetically, using tongs and the wooden spoon. The pasta should move and glide through the pan, never sitting still.
7. Add the reserved cooking water from the bowl little by little, a spoonful at a time, stirring vigorously between additions: this motion is what turns the cheese into a sauce. The pasta should become glossy and velvety, with a sauce coating every strand. If it still looks dry and the strands don't glide well, add more water until it turns creamy. Taste before serving: no extra salt is needed.
8. Serve the pasta on warm plates: if you can, keep them for a few minutes in a low oven, since a cold plate will set the cream in an instant. Sprinkle immediately with the reserved Pecorino and the crushed pepper you set aside. Bring it to the table without delay: this pasta is at its best in the first few minutes, while the sauce is still silky.