Cacio e Pepe
Sunday, 9th May 2010 | 13 Comments
Today’s daily food photo goes out to Mamma Parla. Cacio e pepe is always at the top of her list of things to eat when she comes to visit me in Rome. This traditional pasta dish is made with grated pecorino romano cheese and coarsely ground black pepper, ideally tossed with the local tonnarelli (a sort of squared off spaghetti strand). Happy Mother’s Day Mamma P!
May 9th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
This is my favorite of all the foods.
May 9th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
which restaurant was this pic taken at?
May 9th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Mamma P ate this at Lo Scopettaro in Testaccio on her last trip
May 10th, 2010 at 4:13 am
Grazie mille bella! You are so right – I love this pasta dish – simple, tasty and Roman! What a beautiful tribute to my love for Roman food!
May 10th, 2010 at 10:58 am
I always wonder what pecorino is being used. Do you have any idea how old it is? The best versions of this dish contain only pasta, pepper, cheese and water. Difficult to get right I always think the consistency/mixability of the cheese is the most important part of this dish. Besides skill…..
May 10th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Mart, pecorino romano cheese suitable for grating is aged a minimum of 8 months. the trick is to use very very high quality dry durum wheat pasta (I use Latini brand) or high quality fresh tonnarelli which will produce the starchy water that you mix with the cheese in a pan over low heat to create a sauce. you then mix in the cooked pasta and fold in coarsely ground pepper. for a great recipe, check out WIlliams Sonoma’s Rome cookbook by Maureen Fant. I made my first cacio e pepe with her 6 years ago and it’s always a hit when i make it (Mamma P back me up!).
May 10th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Si, e vero!
May 12th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Grazie! I forgot about starchy liquid. I sometimes hold the pasta water back till next day and use it as broth for soup. I cook the pasta in a smaller amount of water than Italians advice to have a bit more taste. Piu economico (gas is hillariously expensive here..) and no difference in texture. The hunt is open for Pecorino today.
May 14th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Katie, since your mamma loves cacio e pepe, please take her to Da Francesco, in my humble opinion, best plate of cacio e pepe i have ever had in Rome. x shayma
June 19th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
[...] best and greatest fresh fiori di zucca, head to Sforno. At Antico Arco (Piazzale Aurelio, 7), the cacio e pepe incorporates unstuffed and unbattered [...]
November 14th, 2010 at 1:53 am
[...] deal with it was to go eat again. We hopped in a taxi and hightailed it for Roma Sparita, where the cacio e pepe cured what ailed [...]
January 2nd, 2011 at 7:32 am
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April 23rd, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Trattoria Lilli is also a great place to enjoy your cacio e pepe in Roma.