Cacio e Pepe Pasta

By lorik

High-quality ingredients are essential in this dish, most importantly, imported Pecorino Romano—not the bland domestic cheese labeled “Romano.” Use the small holes on a box grater to grate the cheese finely and the large holes to grate it coarsely. Alternatively, a food processor may be used to grate it finely: Cut the Pecorino into 2-inch pieces and process until finely ground, about 45 seconds. For a slightly less rich dish, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream. Do not adjust the amount of water for cooking the pasta. Stir the pasta frequently while cooking so that it doesn’t stick to the pot. Letting the dish rest briefly before serving allows the flavors to develop and the sauce to thicken

Ingredients

• Variation from Food 52:
• 6 ounces Pecorino Romano, 4 ounces finely grated (about 2 cups) and 2 ounces coarsely grated (about 1 cup) (see note)
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Table salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (see note)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 12 ounces pasta (spaghetti or bucatini)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago, as needed
• 1 egg yolk
• Variation from Tasting Table:
• 1 pound dried bucatini pasta
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Variation from Food Network:
• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces bucatini or linguine
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pecorino romano cheese, finely grated

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from americastestkitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place finely grated Pecorino in medium bowl. Set colander in large bowl.

2. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt; cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Drain pasta into colander set in bowl, reserving cooking water. Pour 1½ cups cooking water into liquid measuring cup and discard remainder; return pasta to now-empty bowl.

3. Slowly whisk 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water into finely grated Pecorino until smooth. Whisk in cream, oil, and black pepper. Gradually pour cheese mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Let pasta rest 1 to 2 minutes, tossing frequently, adjusting consistency with remaining ½ cup reserved pasta water. Serve, passing coarsely grated Pecorino separately.

Variation:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add some salt to the water (not too much, as you will use this water for your sauce). Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
In the same pot the pasta was boiled in, add 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Melt your butter into this and add the pepper. Return the cooked pasta to the pot and toss to coat.
Add the cheese and egg yolk and, using tongs, toss the ingredients together until combined. If the pasta seems a little sticky, add the remaining pasta water. If it's a little wet, add more cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Variation from Tasting Table:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the bucatini and cook until just al dente, 8 to 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1¼ cup of pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, toast the ground pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil, and cook until the butter has melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the drained pasta, 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, the grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano. Toss to coat the pasta well and season with salt. Add the remaining ¼ cup of reserved pasta water and tablespoon of butter, tossing to incorporate. Transfer to a platter and garnish with ground pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. Then serve

Food Network Variation:
Bring 2 1/2 quarts water (about 10 cups) to a boil in a large deep skillet. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and cook until just al dente (1 to 2 minutes less than the label directs).

Meanwhile, put the peppercorns in a small resealable plastic bag and coarsely crush with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet. Place the crushed peppercorns in a fine-mesh sieve and discard any dust that falls through. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed peppercorns and cook until sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a large bowl.

Using tongs, remove the pasta from the boiling water and transfer to the bowl with the peppercorn oil along with 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. (Reserve the remaining cooking water in the skillet.) Toss the pasta until coated. Let cool slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. (If the pasta is too hot, the cheese will clump and not melt.)

Add the cheese to the bowl with the pasta in three batches, tossing well and adding a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water with each addition; make sure most of the cheese is melted before adding more. Continue adding the cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the pasta is coated in a thick creamy sauce.