Pici cacio e pepe is a first course of pasta, cooked with a few DOP ingredients, such as pecorino romano and black pepper. A simple recipe, which requires some small tricks to pay attention, to get a good dish.

Ingredients for the pici cacio e pepe recipe (4 people)

• 0.9 pounds of pici pasta;
• 0.45 pounds of finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 6 ounces), plus more for serving;
• 1 ounce of freshly ground black pepper.

DIFFICULTY	COOKING TIME	PREPARATION TIME
simple	10′	10′

Nutritional values ​​for one serving
Energy		0 kcal
		0 Kj
Fats		0 gr.
	Saturated fats	0 gr.
	Monounsaturated fats	0 gr.
	Polyunsaturated fats	0 gr.
Carbohydrates		0 gr.
	of which sugars	0 gr.
Proteins		0 gr.
Salt		0 gr.
Dietary fiber		0 gr.
Cholesterol		0 gr.
Potassium		0 gr.

How to cook pici cacio e pepe

Pici is a variety of handmade pasta, obtained from the mixture of water, flour and salt. They have a very similar shape to spaghetti alla chitarra, but are wider and thicker.

The origins of this variety of spaghetti is from the southern Tuscany region in Italy.

A characteristic of the Pecorino romano cheese is its medium seasoning, essential for obtaining a good cream, which does not lump or form coarse lumps. Grate the pecorino romano.

We put a saucepan with water to heat. don’t salt the cooking water, as the pecorino romano is already very savory and adding more salt to the recipe would ruin the balance of flavors.

When the water is boiling, pour the pici and let them cook for half of the cooking time indicated on the package.

Grate the peppercorns with the pepper grinder directly into the pan, heat it up on the stove. Toast it until the pepper releases its smell. Add 2 – 3 ladles of the pasta cooking water.

Let evaporate the water, letting the starch free itself through the bubbles that form with the heat.

After half the cooking time of the pici, drain the spaghetti directly into the pan with the water and pepper. Cook the pici for the remaining time. if necessary, with a ladle add some cooking water. Mix regularly, this will allow the pasta to oxygenate.

In the meantime that the pici is cooking, let’s prepare the pecorino cream.

Put half of the grated pecorino in a bowl together with a sprinkling of chopped pepper.

Pour on the grated pecorino, a ladle of cooking water, which we have kept in the pot. Mix with a whisk, adding the remaining amount of pecorino a little bit at a time.

Adjust the consistency of the cheese cream by adding more cooking water, so as to obtain a cream free of lumps.

Once the pici are cooked, remove the pan from the stove and pour the pecorino and pepper cream.

Using kitchen tongs, mix the pici with the pecorino cream.

Add more grated pecorino cheese and a sprinkle of chopped pepper.

We can serve and immediately enjoy the pici in their creaminess.