How to make Spaghetti cacio & pepe (The real Italian recipe)

Here is the Spaghetti cacio and pepe. Cacio e pepe is another symbol of Rome, a food that you have to eat when you enter a Roman tavern.

The history of cacio e pepe has ancient and poor roots, so far in time that nobody knows exactly when it was born and where.

History

It seems that cacio e pepe is born on the pastures, when the shepherds of the Roman countryside left for transhumance and carried with them only some long-lasting food.

Usually in their puddles there were dried tomatoes, dried guanciale, some slice of cheese, pepper and dried spaghetti; all highly calorie foods able to give the right sustenance during the trip.

Pasta cacio e pepe, from poor food typical of shepherds, quickly became a popular course in all the Roman trattoria, where once it was served dry, so that customers would have asked more wine.

The recipe

Here is the original recipe for cacio e pepe; keep in mind that, at least in the real recipe, no cream, butter or oil is used.

The secret of this pasta, in fact, is not in the ingredients – just too simple at first impact – but in the skill of those who prepare it: the chef must be able to keep the whole thing so good that the result is creamy.

The doses of this recipe are for 4 persons.

INGREDIENTS:

• 14.10 oz of spaghetti
• ½ cup + 3 tbsp of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• black pepper
• salt

RECIPE PREPARATION:

1. Cook the spaghetti in boiling and salty water.
2. In a bowl, put the Pecorino Romano and ground pepper.
3. When the spaghetti are al dente, drain them with a perforated ladle and put them immediately in the bowl so that it does not lose all the cooking water.
4. Add a ladle of cooking water to the bowl.
5. Mix quickly, dissolving the cheese with the water.
6. Serve with a sprinkling of pepper on the top.