In our house, between the hectic lifestyle that comes with two full-time working parents, a six-year-old, a two-year-old, school, creche, play-dates, ballet and, well, life in general, dinner is often pasta.
Not that there is anything wrong with that, in my opinion, as you can make pasta pretty darn healthy if you want (which we try to, for the most part) – and, let’s face it, the possibilities are pretty much endless when it comes to recipes to choose from.
Between myself and my husband, we have assembled quite the collection of pasta recipes we cook on a regular basis, but when it comes to pure indulgence (and that true Italian feel), nothing beats a steaming hot bowl of Cacio e Pepe.
This, it seems, we are not alone in thinking, as, according to Martha Stewart, Cacio e Pepe is in fact the most searched for and pinned pasta recipe on the whole entire internet. And when you cook it (and realize how easy it is to make!), you will see why.
Cacio e Pepe
When done right, this is pretty divine…
Ingredients
400 g spaghetti pasta
100 g Grana Padano cheese, grated
250 g Pecorino Romano, grated
50 g butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than called for in package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
Transfer pasta to a non-stick skillet. Add butter and 1/2 cup pasta water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. The heat helps the starch in the water meld with the fat from the butter, which prevents the Grana Padano from becoming stringy in the finished dish.
Reduce heat to low, and mix in Grana Padano and cracked pepper. Grana Padano is softer than Pecorino Romano; it will melt into the buttery water, creating a sauce as the pasta finishes cooking.
Toss pasta with tongs to thoroughly coat it with sauce. Keep everything at a gentle simmer just until cheese melts and sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, then stir in Pecorino Romano. (Always add Pecorino off direct heat; it clumps when cooked.) Zest lemon over the pasta.
If pasta looks dry, toss it with a bit more pasta water until it has a glossy coating. Divide between 2 warm bowls. Drizzle each with oil and lemon juice, and garnish with more cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
(Recipe via MarthaStewart.com)
