This is one of the most classic Roman pasta sauces, and though it is very simple -- just 4 ingredients -- it does require care. Though some people add a few drops of olive oil, Roman purists frown at this practice, and I tend to agree with them. Just pasta, cheese, and pepper, and the creaminess of the sauce comes from a few tablespoons of starchy pasta water. The recipe will serve 6.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 pounds (600 g) spaghetti
- 1/4 pound (100 g) freshly grated pecorino romano (ideally not too sharp)
- An abundance of freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, for the pasta water
Preparation:
Set a pot of water to heat. When it boils, salt it and cook the pasta. When the pasta is done, drain it, and transfer it to a heated bowl before the pasta water has drained completely from the colander. Briskly stir in the grated cheese - there should be enough liquid for the cheese to become creamy - and the pepper, and it's done. Should it lack liquid, do not add oil, but rather a tablespoon or two of boiling water.
How abundant should the black pepper be, you wonder? As much as you like; a celebrity chef who appeared on Chef per un Giorno, an Italian cooking show (a different non-culinary celebrity each week, cooking in a restaurant kitchen with the restaurant's cooks) added enough pepper to make the customers' eyes water. However, they gobbled it down.
A wine? Frascati, or Colli Albani, two of the wonderful Roman quaffing wines.
How abundant should the black pepper be, you wonder? As much as you like; a celebrity chef who appeared on Chef per un Giorno, an Italian cooking show (a different non-culinary celebrity each week, cooking in a restaurant kitchen with the restaurant's cooks) added enough pepper to make the customers' eyes water. However, they gobbled it down.
A wine? Frascati, or Colli Albani, two of the wonderful Roman quaffing wines.
