Classic recipe for Cacio e Pepe

Mimi Thorisson’s Cacio e pepe from Old World Italian. A perfect dish for the weekend especially in combination with a glass of good Barolo 🍷.

You need:
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 pound / 500 g dried tonnarelli or spaghettoni
• 3 cups / 270 g finely grated pecorini romano cheese

1. In a large, heavy skillet, roast the peppercorns over high heat until you hear a popping sound, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and grind them with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Return the ground pepper to the skillet.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium- high heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water and undercook by 5 minutes.

3. Reserving 1½ cups / 370 ml pasta water, drain the pasta. Add 1 cup / 250 ml of the reserved water to the pan with the pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the pasta to the skillet to finish cooking.

4. When the pasta is al dente, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pecorino and remaining ½ cup / 120 ml pasta water. Quickly and vigorously toss the pasta with the sauce to make sure each strand of pasta is coated and the sauce is evenly emulsified. Serve immediately.

From @ellecanada