by Cristina |
Last Updated: September 11, 2018 I am a pasta loving girl. It’s usually my go-to on date night or for any group meal. They say money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy me pasta and that is pretty damn close.
Lately I’ve been noticing a bit of a trend at each of the Italian spots I’ve been hitting. Cacio e Pepe is everywhere. At first I was trying to figure out what the big deal was. It is literally pasta, cheese and pepper. However, I will use the cheesiest line I’ve ever written and say- Love at first bite.
There’s a little spot in Coconut Grove called Sappore di Mare and they actually finish preparing this dish in a bowl of Pecorino and add a little bit of truffle and I can swear I saw God the first time I bit into that. Wooooo just thinking of that got me all hot and bothered. If you are in the area or planning on coming you should definitely check it out. It is a hole in the wall- but absolute fire.
Imagine my surprise when a family friend mentioned to my husband and I how easy it was to make at home. Yes it sounds easy considering there are basically 4 ingredients. But surely the technique or something fancy has to come into play to make something so delicious.
However the gods have shined upon us- and it is actually attainable at home. Your bigger problem will be trying not to make this every single day.
As promised here are the ingredients and directions. However what will really help is watching famous Italian chef, Flavio Velavevodetto do it. It is a quick video that will make all your pasta dreams come true. Check that out HERE.
I found the base ingredients and video on Elizabeth Minchilli’s website where she has a pretty amazing spread of delicious recipes and cookbooks if you want to take a look around.
Remember once you master this you can make as much or as little as you want. The process is always the same you can just adjust the amounts accordingly.
Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 6 oz. pasta (such as egg tagliolini, bucatini, or spaghetti)
- 1 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking pour the freshly ground (or packaged) Pecorino into a bowl. Add in most of the ground pepper (reserving a little to garnish at end). Then add a little cold water from the tap. The trick is to add a little and stir, so you can make sure you achieve a paste consistency. Add a little more water as you go if needed. Taste it, maybe add more cheese or pepper depending on how you want it to taste.
Once the pasta is done, reserve some of the cooking water. In a bowl put some of the Pecorino and pepper paste add the pasta and begin to stir quickly. Add some of the pasta water, continue to stir quickly. You want the sauce to coat the pasta. You can play with it adding a little more paste and water.
Once finished sprinkle some cheese and pepper and you have yourself some next level Cacio e Pepe! Invite some friends, or just eat it all yourself like we do.
Catch you next time!