Who doesn’t like Cacio e Pepe? You know it, a cheese and pepper pasta, a simple and super comforting dish which is like a hug in a bowl. There are PAGES dedicated to the hows of making this simple pasta. Google it. Seriously, I’m not going to post a recipe because there are so MANY. But I will give you a few pointers that may help. To those of you who have been living under a culinary rock; Cacio e Pepe is a pasta dish that has very few ingredients, pecorino romano, black pepper, pasta and pasta water. It is Roman in origin and newish at least in its present incarnation. Cacio is pecorino cheese in the dialect spoken around Rome (or so I read although some say it is the local dialect for cheese in general), and pepe is pepper in Italian.  Apparently it became popular in Rome in the 50’s and 60’s, with the speculation that the pepper was added to a cheesy pasta dish sometime after WWII. An earlier version of this dish sans black pepper was recorded by Goethe who wrote about ‘a pasta dressed in cheese’ in his Italienische Reise (Italian Journey) which was about his travels through Italy in the 1780’s. Though not so common practice now, cacio e pepe was eaten any time including after dessert and especially after consumption of many wines. Do not be misled by the simplicity of this dish. Fewer the ingredients the less fudge factor you have. Many people screw up making this dish and as promised, no recipe but I will list a few tips to help you make that hug in a bowl. There are different opinions about the consistency of the sauce even in Rome; dry or a saucy version. You can adjust the consistency with the amount of pasta water you add when making the sauce.

Ingredients & tips:  

The noodle - spaghetti or tonnarelli is commonly used but any long noodle that isn’t too thick or wide will do. Right now I’m using De Cecco brand square spaghetti.

The cheese(s)- a bit of a debate here, some only use pecorino romano, others use a combination of pecorino and parmigiano reggiano even in Rome. Up to you, however, I suggest you use the best possible cheeses. Because some of the cheaper facsimiles don’t melt as well and tend to clump which makes me think that there might be some non cheesy stuff in it. And forget about using pre-grated cheese, they definitely have something added to keep them from clumping in their container, usually cornstarch.  

Black pepper - I use Indian tellicherry ‘special extra bold’ black pepper, these peppercorns are larger than the usual tellicherry peppercorns and have a bolder punch. Any type would work but it should be ground from whole peppercorns. I usually have one of my dinner guests grind the pepper or I used to but they weren’t too pleased with the ‘work’, so sometimes I grind the pepper corns in my spice designated coffee grinder. Whiz. And it’s done. Don’t make it too fine though. Tip: I don’t know where I read it, but there was a recipe that mentions dry heating the pepper. It makes a difference, it deepens the pepe flavour. If you have time to do this extra step, do it. I use a cast iron pan, throw in the ground pepper and heat it and it releases this fantastic aroma.... Be careful not to burn it.

No butter - A classic Cacio e Pepe recipe has no dairy. In one version of Mario Batali’s recipe (he has more than one) he uses butter and many other recipes on the web has butter listed as an ingredient. But no butter. And, no cream. I know, again, there are recipes that call for cream, but if you are making classic cacio e pepe, try making it without dairy and don't shoot the messenger.

Pasta water - an essential ingredient in most pasta sauces, definitely a must in this case. Make sure that it is HOT, if not you could end up with clumpy cheese. The objective is to make a creamy sauce (slurry) with the grated cheese and pasta water.  

Proportions - I’m taking an average here; to a 1 lb of pasta, 1 ½ ~ 2 cups of grated cheese, pecorino or combination of pecorino and parmesan, 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (depends on how finely ground it is but start with less, you can alway add more) of ground black pepper and salt to taste if necessary. The percentages of the cheese combos vary widely in the recipes but my understanding is that the pecorino is the main cheese in this dish so parmesan should be less in proportion but if you like the taste of parmesan better, go for it. That’s it, although some, add a bit of olive oil and emulsify it into the sauce.

Big Tip: You need to be quick. Quick so that the hot water doesn’t cool and quick tossing so that the pasta gets an even coat of the melted cheese.

Finish - with a grind of pepper and sprinkling of grated pecorino.

Enjoy your hug in a bowl, and do as the Romans did, have it after dessert and after many wines.