Cacio e pepe (with a moderist twist)
One of my dear friends was asking me recently why I had not made a version of caio e pepe, a dish she loved from Vespiao here in Austin, a restaurant I love, but apparently have not frequented enough.
My dear friend was going down and was struggling with the decision to get the 2oz or the 4oz primi. While they worried about their size dilemma, I was mostly interested in whether I had the ingredients. That shouldn’t be hard as it is a small list, but nevertheless, I had no interest in making a market run.
Basically, cacio e pepe is an adult mac ‘n’ cheese. Just not orange. And with a nice pepper kick.
Why this had not made it into my earlier repertoire is a mystery to me. So simple, yet so tasty.
The “modernist twist” is to use sodium citrate to emulsify the cheese mixture so it is stable and won’t clump or break. The only trick with this is the ratio: 2-3% sodium citrate to the combined weight of cheese + water. Cheese should be about 110% of the weight of the water. I’ve used grams below in the recipe as I find that the easiest way for weighted measurements, but it’s the ratio that matters more than the unit.
Cacio e pepe (cheese & pepper pasta, with a modernist twist)
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender (optional). For the listed amount, a whisk will work fine. For larger quantities, an immersion blender will be very helpful.
Ingredients
- 225 grams Spaghetti. About 1/2 of a standard package work for 4 people.
- 60 grams Pecorino Romano, finely grated. Other hard cheeses, like Parmesan, will also work.
- 55 grams Starchy water. Taken from the pasta water when it is nearly done.
- 3 grams Sodium Citrate. This you will likely need to order online.
- 3 grams Black pepper, freshly ground.
Instructions
- Bring a reasonably large pot of water to boil. While you don't need as much water as traditional cookbooks say, you will be extracting a small amount for the sauce.
- As the pasta water is coming to boil, grate the cheese.
- Gently drop the pasta in the boiling water, reduce to a simmer. Check after about 2 minutes before package directions (probably about 7 min total). You are looking for pasta that is just a little under done as it will be sitting in the hot water for a few more minutes.
- If the pasta is just underdone, take about 55 grams (1/4 cup) of the pasta water and transfer to a small pot on the range. Turn on medium-low. Add in the sodium citrate (~2% of the combined weight of water and cheese) and stir to mix. Add the cheese a handful at a time to the mixture and whisk/blend until smooth. Add the black pepper and taste.
- Drain the pasta, and put back into the pot or into a mixing bowl. Add most of the sauce, leaving a little in reserve. Taste. Add salt, pepper, and the remaining sauce as needed.
- Serve and add just a little extra grated cheese and ground pepper for aesthetics. Enjoy.
