This recipe is based on this YouTube video by Simone Zanoni.

Cacio e Pepe is a delicious, quick and simple classic dish from Rome.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 of a 500 gram pack of (about 180 grams) pasta (normally spaghetti - if you use something that cooks quicker, like capellini, you will need to start roasting the pepper before starting the pasta),
• 125 grams of finely grated pecorino cheese (good quality pecorino can be hard to find, but the quality of it has huge impact on the taste of the finished dish, so spend the time and money to get a good one),
• 55 grams of finely grated parmesan cheese,
• 6 grams of freshly ground black pepper.

Method:

1. Start cooking the pasta (it should be cooked for 2 minutes less than the time recommended on the packet, because it will be further cooked in the sauce; the exact time to start cooking the pasta depends on the length of time you need to cook it),
2. In a large round bottomed pan (I usually use a wok for this dish), gently toast the pepper (don’t burn it) for about 3 minutes,
3. Add 2 medium-sized ladles of the pasta water to the pan,
4. Add the pecorino rind to the pan,
5. Cook for 3 minutes,
6. Add the pasta to the pan (keep the pasta water – you will need some of it later),
7. Add another ladle of pasta water,
8. Cook for 4 minutes,
9. Remove the pecorino rind,
10. Add the grated cheese, a little at a time, stirring and adding more water as required to create the sauce,
11. Serve garnished with more grated pecorino.