By Chef Joseph Massaglia
Last year when the Pandemic shut down almost all restaurants and dining out came to a screeching halt, people started craving comfort foods and began making them at home. And many of those comfort foods were, of course, Italian.
One of the most googled recipes during that period was the Roman dish, Cacio e Pepe. In Italian cacio e pepe translates to “cheese and pepper,” and its ingredients are just that — Pecorino Romano cheese (a sheep’s milk cheese), black pepper and spaghetti. It’s believed that shepherds were the first to make this dish because they could make the cheese on the spot and carried the pasta and pepper with them – no refrigeration required.
This recipe was popular during the Pandemic because it used ingredients most everyone had in their pantry and refrigerator. But sometimes recipes that have the fewest ingredients and very simple instructions can be the most challenging.
Think of a scrambled egg. Many well-known chefs have said they use scrambled eggs and/or omelettes to see how good a cook’s technique is. Making a true French style omelette is one of the most difficult techniques in cooking. It requires exceptional mastery of heat, timing, and coordination to be done right. And it’s the same with Cacio e Pepe.
First, because the ingredients are so simple, the quality of each really matters. You must start with fresh, black peppercorns, crack or grind them, and then toast slightly to give the peppery flavor depth and complexity. The ground pepper you buy in tin will not work well in this recipe.
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese – not Parmesan – is traditional for this recipe. Pecorino Romano is saltier and a bit stronger that Parmesan and pairs beautifully with the pepper. And if you grate it on a Microplane instead of shredding it you will have greater success.
And you must start with dried pasta, not fresh. Traditionally Cacio e Pepe called for spaghetti, but bucatini and tonnarelli – a square-shaped spaghetti – also are traditional choices.
So, you say, how can three ingredients make this a difficult recipe? The problem is the cheese. Because Pecorino Romano is a dry, hard cheese it has a very low moisture content. Without going into all the science, you want to turn a dry, hard cheese into a creamy sauce … and you want to do this without adding cream and using little to no butter or olive oil, other than what you used to toast the peppercorns.
When I make the Cacio e Pepe at Mama Mia’s, I use two pans to make the recipe. I toast the peppercorns in a skillet with a little olive oil and butter. I cook the pasta separately in a large saucepan, not a big pot, in just enough salted water to cover, and cook it only until al dente.
I drain the pasta with tongs, reserving some pasta water to add as needed. Off the heat I stir the pasta into the toasted peppercorns, and then gradually add the cheese with a tablespoon of pasta water as needed, stirring with a fork, until I get a smooth and creamy sauce.
For special occasions I make this recipe tableside. I put the toasted peppercorns in my large Parmesan cheese wheel, toss the drained pasta with the grated Pecorino Romano in the wheel until creamy, and then flame the mixture with brandy before serving in individual bowls topped with additional cheese, pepper and parsley. Mama Mia it’s wonderful!
You can find many recipes for Cacio e Pepe online, but this recipe from The Kitchn website (https://www.thekitchn.com/) uses a fool-proof method to make sure the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. The only change I would make is to first toast and cool your peppercorns. I think you’ll be very happy with the results.
By the way, I’ve also seen recipes for Cacio e Pepe corn on the cob, pizza and even deviled eggs!
Be well, stay safe, and support your local restaurants now that they are open.
Buon Appetito!
Joe’s Table for Two radio show airs Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on WOND 1400 AM. Website: joestablefortwo.com. Facebook: Joe’s Table for 2 and Eat at Joe’s EHT. Contact Joe: joestablefortwo@gmail.com.
