Cacio e pepe
Cacio e pepe
Three ingredients, all technique — pasta, pecorino, and black pepper emulsified into a glossy Roman sauce.
Tre ingredienser, det hele handler om teknik — pasta, pecorino og sort peber pisket til en blank, romersk sauce.
DirectionsFremgangsmåde
Bring about 1.7 L of lightly salted water to the boil — less water than usual, so the cooking water gets really starchy.
Coarsely grind the peppercorns. Toast in a large dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Pull off the heat.
When the water boils, drop in the pasta. After about half its cooking time, ladle a generous mug of the starchy water into the pepper skillet, then transfer the pasta in with tongs and finish cooking it there, tossing constantly and adding more pasta water as it's absorbed.
While the pasta finishes, whisk the grated pecorino in a bowl with a few tablespoons of warm (not boiling) pasta water until you have a thick, ricotta-like cream.
Pull the skillet completely off the heat and let it cool for 30 seconds — if it's too hot, the cheese will seize.
Pour the pecorino cream over the pasta and toss vigorously until the sauce turns glossy and clings. Loosen with more pasta water as needed.
Plate immediately with a final crack of black pepper. Cacio e pepe waits for no one.
DirectionsFremgangsmåde
Bring ca. 1,7 L let saltet vand i kog — mindre vand end normalt, så det bliver rigtig stivelsesholdigt.
Stød peberkornene groft. Rist dem på en tør pande ved middel varme i 1–2 minutter, til de dufter. Tag panden af blusset.
Når vandet koger, kom pastaen i. Efter ca. halvdelen af kogetiden øses en god kop af det stivelsesrige pastavand over i peberpanden, og pastaen flyttes derefter med en tang over på panden og koges færdig dér under konstant vending — tilsæt mere pastavand efterhånden som det suges op.
Mens pastaen koger færdig, piskes den fintrevne pecorino i en skål sammen med et par spsk lunkent (ikke kogende) pastavand til en tyk, ricotta-agtig creme.
Tag panden helt af varmen og lad den køle 30 sekunder — er den for varm, klumper osten.
Hæld pecorino-cremen over pastaen og vend kraftigt, til saucen bliver blank og klæber. Løsn med mere pastavand efter behov.
Servér straks med en sidste kværn sort peber. Cacio e pepe venter ikke på nogen.