Bucatini Cacio e Pepe 

Bucatini cheese and pepper, here's how to cook to perfection a first course that is creamy at the right point and without lumps! A recipe of Roman cuisine loved by all! Cacio e pepe! And that will never be! But is it really enough to cook the pasta and season it without thoughts? After all, there are only three ingredients in the dish: pasta, cheese and pepper! But, like all things, the easier they seem, the more you have to pay close attention! And in fact the bucatini cacio e pepe in the photo are the optimal result after a couple of failed attempts! And it will probably happen to you too, in fact experience will suggest how to get the best out of your three ingredients!

Ingredients

320 g Bucatini 

140 g Pecorino Romano cheese

Peppercorns to taste

Salt to taste

pasta cooking water to taste

Preparation

Cook the bucatini in plenty of water and with a little salt! The pecorino cheese will then give the right degree of flavor to the dish, so adjust to salt the water! Meanwhile, prepare the finely grated cheese in a bowl. Cook the pasta a little more al dente than usual, then put a couple of ladles (or more) of pasta cooking water aside and drain it one two minutes earlier than usual. Put the pasta in a large pan. Let the cooking water cool down (it must NOT be boiling!), then pour about 120 g over the cheese. Stir to form a cream that is homogeneous and not too thick, then adjust. If you want you can still refine the cream with a few pulses of immersion blender. Finally, pour the cream cheese over the pasta and stir quickly out of the heat (or on the stove but at a minimum). If needed, add a little more warm cooking water. Serve the bucatini cheese and pepper with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

LA PASTA

Tradition has it that a "long" pasta format is used, such as spaghetti, spaghettini, bucatini. At home do as you please, but know that if you use rigatoni or other formats, you are voluntarily transgressing!

THE "CACIO"

And here you can not transgress, in fact "we speak" of pecorino romano and that is! Someone, and even some restaurateurs, add a small percentage of Parmesan, but it seems right to want to meet the tastes of customers or their taste.

PEPPER

Preferably use peppercorns, their aroma is truly unique! Indeed, the suggestion is to enhance all the aroma of pepper, heating the grains for a few seconds in a hot pan. Finally, use a classic pepper mill or a heavy pestle to chop it!

Wine suggested

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Il Vino dal Tralcetto

Experts think this Italian Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine would be a match made in heaven with this dish. Bon appétit!

Tasting note

Excellent food wine. Good acidity and solid fruit on the palate. Well made and a lovely pairing. Straight forward enjoyable wine which pairs well with almost any Italian food. Medium length with moderate tannins with cherry and dark fruit flavors.