Vargr
Vargr
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Cacio De Pepe and antipasto
At our office party today, Vargr's regional boss mentioned a pasta dish he really liked, and wondered if wuff could make it, or had tasted it. He described a simple dish of spaghetti, cheese, and pepper in a creamy sauce. After some discussion, we figured out that this was Cacio De Pepe, or “Cheese with Pepperâ€, a classic Italian recipe. Vargr told him that wuff had never tasted or tried it, but that wouldn't keep wuffy from learning how to make it!
And the hunt was on!
Prowling about the internets, wuff discovered that, like the previous Étouffée explorations, there are some VERY strong opinions on what a “proper†recipe includes. The traditionalists demand it be made only with pepper, cheese, and pasta. While others add a fat, but battle over whether olive oil or butter is the proper one. Yet others compromise and use both! And there is at least one recipe that includes heavy cream, which nearly everyone else decries.
The traditional version, despite (or perhaps because of) only using 3 ingredients, is perhaps one of the toughest pasta recipes to get right. The thick, silky, creamy sauce relies entirely on technique; using the starch in the pasta water with the cheese and just the exact amount of heat and stirring about with the noodles to achieve the perfect result.
Vargr decided to go with the less traditional combination of butter and oil for 2 reasons. First, wuff's technique MIGHT have achieved a successful result, but this version was far more forgiving of mistakes in technique. And secondly, heating the pepper in the hot fat allows the flavors to bloom, and to infuse the sauce so you get a more consistent taste with less individual 'explosions' of pepper.
Below is wuffy's version. The picture shows a linguine for the pasta, since none of wuff's local markets had tonnarelli (or spaghetti alla chitarra). This square-cut pasta is excellent for hanging onto and making a nice creamy sauce. But the linguine worked very well too!
Note: Because this recipe has such simple, limited ingredients, it is especially important to use good quality ones! FRESH CRACKED pepper, good cheese, real butter and tasty olive oil will make all the difference. You can go with cheaper or lesser ingredients, and this will still be good - - but it won't be “greatâ€.
Cacio De Pepe (the recipe for the antipasto on the side follows)
Ingredients:
1 lb tonnarelli pasta, (Can substitute spaghetti or linguine.) (fresh or dried)
4 oz Pecorino Romano cheese (about ¾ C grated) (Can substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated from the block cheese please! Do NOT use the bottled dried sawdust for this!)
6 oz Grana Padano cheese (about 1 ½ C grated) (Can substitute Mexican manchego or Asiago cheese instead)
3 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs good Olive Oil (If you taste it and go “Yumâ€, use it! If it tastes like veggie oil, find something else!)
3-4 tsps fresh cracked black pepper
Salt (for the pasta water)
4-5 Quarts water (for the pasta)
Directions:
In a large pot, heat 4-5 quarts water. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Stir to dissolve. Bring water to a strong, rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until not quite al dente (about 5-6 minutes for dried, much less for fresh). Reserve 3-4 cups of the pasta water and drain off the rest. DO NOT RINSE the pasta!
When pasta is almost done boiling, heat butter and olive oil together in a large fry or saute pan. Add the cracked black pepper. Stir or swirl it around and let the pepper toast a wee bit.
Reduce heat to medium. STAND BACK and pour in 1 Cup of the reserved pasta water. It will hiss and spit violently at first! Once you can reach in safely, whisk the water and butter/oil mixture together thoroughly.
Add the pasta. Toss with tongs until thoroughly coated with mixture.
Reduce heat to low. Add the grated Grana Padano cheese (Asiago or manchego). Toss with tongs until the cheese has melted into the pasta. The sauce should be shiny and creamy. If it isn't, add more of the pasta water and continue to toss.
Add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano). Toss a few more times, but you don't have to wait for this one to melt completely.
Serve immediately!
Top with a bit more grated Pecorino Romano and a couple more grinds of black pepper.
NOTES:
Pecorino Romano is a very salty and strong sheep's milk cheese, quite similar in flavor to Parmigiano-Reggiano, but not quite as strongly flavored.
Grana Padano is subtler, less nutty, and much less salty. A cow's milk cheese, it also melts better than the Romano. And it is normally much less expensive than Parmigiano. The Mexican Manchego (especially the longer-aged versions) is an excellent substitute for Padano.
Because of the oil and butter, this pasta will “set up†and form a solid block if it cools. It is best served and eaten immediately, and using heated plates.
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Quick “Toss together†Antipasto
Vargr wanted a zippy antipasto to side with the pasta, to counter the rich buttery sauce. This is just a few ingredients from the salad bar and deli at wuff's local “whole foodsâ€. But it came out very well, and you might want to make your own, so here are the ingredients and method.
Ingredients:
½ C each:
- Kalamata olives (pitted)
- Cerignola (Bella di Cerignola) green olives
- Teriyaki marinaded garlic cloves
- Sweety Drop Miniature Peppers (http://www.amazon.com/Sweety-Drop-Miniature-Peppers-ounce/dp/B00BIEO800)
6 slices Genoa Salami (chopped up)
2 slices Prosciutto ham (chopped up)
2 Tbs Zesty Italian salad dressing
Directions:
Toss everything in a bowl. Stir together well. Refrigerate while pasta is cooking. Stir again before serving.Attachment: cacia de pepa w anti-pasto.jpg (Downloaded 5 times)
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We grow not old, so long as we continue to chase our dreams.
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