Cacio e Pepe is a simple, spicy, delicious recipe from central Italy that you can't help but share with friends and family. It's easy but will come out perfectly with a few tricks!
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for the time indicated on the package (about 10-12 minutes). Use 3 liters of water and 30g of coarse salt.
To make the pepper water, toast pepper in a saucepan. When you smell the aroma of the pepper, add a ladleful of pasta water and turn off the heat.
Grate the pecorino cheese in a bowl; use a microplane so that the cheese is fine like powder.
Two minutes after cooking the pasta, add a small ladleful of pasta water and whisk it until it forms a lump-free cream. Should it be too stiff, add a little water at a time, but just enough because you don’t want a sauce that is too runny.
With the heat off, combine the ingredients. Add the pasta to the pepper water, then the cheese mixture. Mix it well and vigorously; add a little more water if it has any lumps.
Serve hot, adding some more grated pepper for decoration.