Warning: Any changes to this traditional Cacio e Pepe recipe will draw the wrath of the Italians!
The trajectory of the Cacio e Pepe controversy is also somewhat similar. A Good Food recipe of the traditional dish found itself under legal fire from the Fiepet Confesercenti, an association representing restaurants in Italy, for the tweaked version it presented, the parmesan cheese and butter being the bones of contention.
While adding some butter, cream or a cheese of your choice may not feel like a big deal, meddling in the texture and natural trajectory of the Cacio e Pepe has clearly been triggering. Come to think of it, the original recipe has all of 3 ingredients (no, literally) and can be made in quite a jiffy, IF done the right way.
Cacio e Pepe — the traditional way
Ingredients: Whole black peppercorns - 1/2tbsp, finely grated pecorino romano - 2.5 cups, spaghetti - 250gms, salt for the pasta water
Method: Bring some water to a boil in a pot — keep in mind to not take as much water as you would to usually cook 250gms of pasta, the recipe asks for it to be significantly less. Salt the water as it comes to a boil. As this happens, grate the pecorino romano and crush the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle reserving about 1.5tsps of the coarse powder. Add the spaghetti into the water now and cook it only halfway through before taking off heat — it will finish cooking later in the pan.
Put said pan on heat and toast 1.5tsps of the pepper powder for a minute max till aromatic. Be sure to not burn this. Now add a ladle of pasta water and wait till the pepper has infused with it before going in with the spaghetti. Cook this medium heat till it feels al dente, constantly tossing to allow the starch to release into the pan and amplify that creamy effect.
Add a splash of pasta water to the pecorino romano and mix with a fork to achieve a paste-like texture. Once the pasta is cooked, take it off heat and add the former. Give it a good toss till all the starchy components fuse. Serve with a slight dusting of pepper powder and pecorino romano.
(recipe from Pina Bresciani)
While this recipe does require some tedious skill in the kitchen, it's hardly something unachievable. So will you be giving this traditional Roman recipe an authentic shot?
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