Cacio E Pepe Food

CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt lightly. Add the pasta and cook until not quite al dente and still quite chewy, 5 to 6 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water, then drain.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When melted, add the garlic and 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water and bring to a simmer. Grind in a generous amount of pepper. Add the pasta and remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Stir to combine and let the pasta start to simmer. Begin adding the Parmesan a handful at a time, tossing the pasta with each addition and adding more pepper if desired. Remove from the heat and continue to toss the pasta until well coated, thinning with the extra pasta water if needed. Taste and add more pepper if desired. Divide among bowls and garnish with the parsley. Serve with more Parmesan on the side.

CLASSIC CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• 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.

ONE-POT CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Put the spaghetti, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 5 1/2 cups of water together in a high-sided medium skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the spaghetti frequently to keep it from clumping, until it is al dente, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Gradually sprinkle in the Pecorino and stir until completely melted, then add the butter. Sprinkle in the Parmesan, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir until melted and smooth-the cheese will clump at first but will melt into the sauce and thicken it up after about 4 minutes. Divide the spaghetti among 4 bowls and garnish with additional Pecorino and pepper.

CACIO E PEPE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the foam from the butter subsides. Add the pepper and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the pasta and up to 3/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, tossing to coat. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and continue to cook, tossing, until the cheese is melted and the pasta is well coated, about 2 minutes. Add a little more of the cooking liquid to loosen, if necessary. Season with salt and divide among 4 bowls. Serve with additional Parmesan and pepper.

SPAGHETTI CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and add 4 tablespoons salt. Drop the pasta into the water. After 1 minute, when the pasta begins to soften, stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together and to submerge it completely in the water.
• Cook according to the package directions for al dente, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is ready, remove 2 cups of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta through a colander.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons black pepper and cook until the peppercorns begin to warm and become fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pasta water and then the pasta and stir. Pull the pot off the heat and add the Pecorino and Parmigiano, stirring and tossing vigorously until they melt and the sauce becomes creamy. If the mixture becomes dry, clumpy or stuck together, add more pasta water, 1/4-cup at a time, stirring and tossing until a creamy consistency is reached. (The pasta will thicken as it stands.) Add a little more pasta water at a time to loosen it back up again, if you like. (You might not use all of the pasta water.)
• Serve immediately sprinkled with more Pecorino-Romano and black pepper.

CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• In a pan just wide enough to hold the pasta, place enough water to fill the pan 1 inch from the bottom. Season the water with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Spread the pasta in the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta water to reduce; do not add more, as you want the starchy water to be minimal when the remaining ingredients are added.
• Meanwhile, add the coarse black pepper to a separate small pan over medium heat. Toast a minute or two until fragrant.
• Once the pasta is al dente and the pasta water has reduced so only a slight coating remains at the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and add the toasted ground black pepper and Pecorino-Romano. Stir and toss vigorously until both ingredients are well incorporated into the pasta. Toss in the olive oil and season with salt.
• Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and garnish with more black pepper, Pecorino-Romano and extra-virgin olive oil.

CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the pasta and cook to al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add the fresh cracked pepper.
• When the butter begins to bubble, turn off the flame and remove from heat.
• When the pasta is ready, add the noodles and 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta water to the sauté pan.
• Cook over medium high heat until the liquid bubbles and thickens, tossing the pasta as needed.
• Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, tossing rigorously until all ingredients are incorporated into a creamy sauce.
• Garnish with additional black pepper and Parmesan, and serve immediately.