By Tracey
Spahgetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper (Cacio e Pepe)
from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 4 oz Pecorino Romano, grated fine, plus extra for serving
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive-oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Directions:
Add the grated cheese to a medium heatproof bowl. Set a colander over a large heatproof bowl. Set both aside.
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti and the salt, and cook, stirring frequently, according to package directions until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta into the colander (still set over the large bowl – you want to capture and pasta cooking water because you’ll be reserving some). Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water to a measuring cup (you can discard the remaining water). Put the pasta in the now empty bowl.
A little at a time, whisk 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the grated cheese. Once it’s completely incorporated, add the heavy cream, olive oil and pepper. Whisk until combined – the sauce should be mostly smooth though mine had a few small bits of cheese that weren’t melted completely. (Don’t worry about it too much, those bits will melt in the next step.) Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, a little at a time, tossing to coat. Once you’ve added all of the sauce, let the pasta rest for about 1 minute, tossing it frequently, and adjusting the consistency with the remaining 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water until it’s to your liking. Serve garnished with extra grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
