Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe
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Serves: 3 standard portions
(Easily adjusted based on your pasta packet. I use this as 3 portions, and somehow it always turns into 2 very generous serves… purely accidental 😄)

Ingredients

  • 340 g dried spaghetti, linguini or fettuccine

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 75 g finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra to finish

  • ¾ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, lightly toasted

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt, then add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, usually 6 to 8 minutes depending on the pasta.

Before draining, reserve about 160 ml of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot or transfer it to a large pan set over low heat.

Add the butter and a splash of the reserved pasta water, tossing gently until the butter melts and coats the pasta. Add the grated Pecorino and toasted pepper, continuing to toss until the cheese melts and forms a silky, peppery sauce. Add a little more pasta water if needed to loosen.

Finish with extra grated Pecorino and serve immediately.

Simple ingredients, big comfort. Adjust quantities easily by following the weight on your pasta packet and scaling everything up or down to match.

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Basic Pasta Dough
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Basic Pasta Dough
Serves 2. Preparation time 15 mins. Cooking time 4 mins.  Ingredients All-purpose flour is non-ideal when making pasta. You can still use all-purpose flour to make homemade pasta, but it will require more effort to knead the dough. The 00 flour, with its powdery texture, yields much silkier noodles, and semolina adds a heartiness and a rougher texture that'll help sauces cling better to your noodles. Plus, semolina is high in gluten, which helps pasta keep its shape while cooking. 160g 00 flour 40g semolina 2 eggs Instructions Using whole eggs and 00 flour is the absolute Italian classic that gives you the soft yellow dough used for any shape of pasta. Place your flour on a clean work surface or I like to use my wooden baking board and shape the flour into a mould. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into the middle. Using a fork, break the egg yolks and start to gently whisk them. Draw in the flour a little at a time and continue to combine with the fork.  When everything starts to come together, use your hands to knead the dough for about 10 minutes until very smooth. Use the heel of your hand or even wrist to push the dough away from you, and use your other hand to turn it 90 degrees after each kneading.  When the dough is smooth, form it into a flat disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight. Resting makes the structure of the dough smoother and more pliable, so it’s much easier to roll out and shape.  Note: You can also make pasta in a food processor or a stand mixer. Which makes it quick and easy. I like to use my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment for the initial mixing. Place the flour and the eggs in the mixer (processor) bowl. Start the machine and mix for 30 seconds until the dough has a consistency of large crumbs.  Tip onto a board, tell Alexa to play Italian opera and use your hands to bring the mixture together to form a neat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate. 
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