Radically Retired

Friday Freestyling … When Not In Rome

Written by

Terry

in

, ,

Last winter in Texas, with the helpful guidance of a friend in our park, I made my first attempt at Cacio e Peppe. Cacio translates to cheese and Peppe to pepper. Those are the ingredients in this spaghetti dish that’s apparently a favourite in Rome.

With only three ingredients, you’d think the dish would be easy. It’s far from that.

Pecorino Romano Cheese and Black Peppercorns are the two ingredients
The peppercorns are ground small with a mortar and pestle, and the cheese is grated to a fine consistency
While the pasta is cooking for half the normal time, the peppercorns are heated in a heavy skillet
Pasta water is added to the peppercorns in the pan and then the pasta to continue cooking
Meanwhile, hot pasta water is added to the cheese and stirred with a fork until it’s a smooth paste

The cheese paste is then added to the pasta in the pan and stirred with tongs to coat – then served immediately (feature photo)

The reward for the required attention to detail is a pasta dish with a creamy, peppery cheese sauce.

My second attempt turned out even better than the first and hubs claims it as his favourite pasta dish.

Comments

12 responses to “Friday Freestyling … When Not In Rome”

  1. Lana Avatar
    Lana

    I would eat that! Your post prompted me to look up if one can purchase ready ground black peppercorns and you can. I have just never seen it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      I believe, Lana – that using the mortar and pestle leaves them not quite as ground and the fresh pulverizing releases more flavour. I’m sure it would work either way. Enjoy your day!

      Like

      Reply
  2. explorenewness Avatar
    explorenewness

    It sounds yummy! Who doesn’t love pasta?! I bet the effort was even more satisfying when your hubs loved it too. That’s terrific!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      You’re absolutely right about it feeling great when it’s appreciated, Lenore. Have a fab Friday evening!

      Like

      Reply
  3. Chuckster Avatar
    Chuckster

    My goodness, sounds divine. I’m sure to screw it up, but not daunted.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      It’s easy to see why it’s Rome’s fave pasta dish. Very tasty! The first time I made it, the cheese clumped up a bit but overall it still tasted great. This time, it was smooth and creamy, so was worth the second attempt. I think it was because this time, I made sure that the cheese was grated almost to a powder. Give it a go, Chuckster. Am sure you won’t be disappointed. Have a fab day!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Betty Avatar
    Betty

    I look forward to reading about it! I love it!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      I hope I can find the cheese 🤞

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Betty Avatar
    Betty

    Sounds delicious! I like Mizithra cheese and pasta – which I think is also tricky to prepare. You can’t just shred the cheese and put it on the pasta. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Terry Avatar
      Terry

      I’ve never heard of that pasta cheese dish, Betty. You can be sure I’ll be checking it out! Have a fab Friday!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Betty Avatar
        Betty

        I get it at the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Terry Avatar
        Terry

        I found a recipe for a copycat version, Betty – If I can find that cheese, I’m going to try it. The prep sounds very similar to Cacio e Pepe 😊

        Liked by 1 person

Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!

More posts