This is one of the most simple ingredients list but packs the biggest impact, flavor and experience. Because the recipe is so simple, the quality of each ingredient means so much more. The secret to perfect Cacio e Pepe lies in controlling temperature and leveraging starchy pasta water to create a creamy emulsion, avoiding clumps by creating a cheese paste first, toasting the pepper, using less water to cook pasta (making it starchier), and tossing vigorously off-heat to emulsify the finely grated Pecorino Romano and pepper with the hot pasta water.
Cacio e pepe has a rich history dating back to ancient Rome. It was a popular dish among shepherds, as the ingredients were cheap and easy to find in the countryside.
