Roman Simplicity: Cacio e Pepe e??

You know, just because a meal is simple in its ingredients, doesn't mean that it is simple in its taste. Sometimes the fewer the ingredients, the greater the variance in the flavors of the dish. Or at least that's what I've found. Give me a simple peasant dish which has been passed down through the ages and I will tell you you will be eating pure culture. And it...is....delicious.

Today we're going to look at a simple pasta dish from Rome (and many pastas dishes from Rome subscribe to the philosophy of simple, few ingredients, yet tasty...and so should we!) called Cacio e Pepe. Which is simply Cheese and Pepper. Simple right? Now if you Google this you will probably find pages and pages of recipes, and by all means try them all. But through some slight variations I really think I've nailed this bad boy. But in the end....you my fine foodie friends, can be the judge and jury. OK.....Let's prep...

Here's What You Will Need:

1 pound dried Spaghetti (You can vary on thickness and Dry v Fresh if you want, all are good)
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus extra for serving (MUST BE FRESHLY GRATED....or it just won't be the same, don't be lazy)
Sea Salt
Coarsely FG Black Pepper (don't even think about using pepper powder)
1-2 Garlic Cloves sliced (This is TOTALLY a TPC thing and therefore optional...don't say no....say maybe)
2-3 tbsp unsalted butter (Optional as well)

Bring water to boil in a large pot. THEN salt the water. Throw in the pasta and cook until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large frying pan heat up the FG pepper and the olive oil on a med high heat until the pepper start to fry up a bit. You'll see it bubbling in the pan and most of all you will SMELL it ahhhhhhhh. OK FOCUS!.....drop the heat to low until you're ready to put the pasta in.

TPC NOTE: Another variation I've seen often is toasting the pepper in the pan by itself for about 30 seconds then adding the oil....have to admit....this is also tasty. So.....of course...try both...

Right before the pasta is almost ready, add the garlic to the pan and raise the heat. You can also add the butter here which gives a wonderful depth to the flavor. BUT I get the health aspect, so you can skip the butter and still absolutely LOVE this dish.

Using tongs, transfer pasta to the pan; spreading it out as evenly as possible. (Don't throw out the pasta water yet). Drop the heat to low so the cheese doesn't separate. Start adding the parmesan over pasta; tossing vigorously to combine until sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta without clumping, about 2 minutes, adding some pasta water if necessary to get the creamy texture you want.

Immediately transfer to a large warm serving bowl or the individual warm personal bowls. Grate some more cheese on top. A "little" more pepper fresh and just a drizzle of olive oil, which adds very subtle fruitiness to the dish. Leave out an additional bowl of grated cheese to add as you go.


TPC NOTE: The difference between Hero and Zero here is what you do with the bowls. PLEASE warm them up (in the oven or just with hot water, hell I've even taken them right out of the dishwasher at serving). If you serve them in cold bowls, the dish will congeal in minutes and all of that hard work was for naught. Sure, it's still tasty, but not even close to what it could be. Warm bowls keep the dish nice and creamy.

WINE NOTE: You can go with a nice Cab here as it blends well with the FG pepper (almost like steak). A big Zin is always safe. On the white side I did it with a nice Sancerre (yeah I've been here before) and it was also very tasty.

Until we do this again....

Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!

TPC