Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

• 400 g tonnarelli or spaghetti
• 200 g Pecorino Romano, finely grated
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
• 1 tbsp salt for the pasta water

Steps

1. 1
   Boil the pasta in noticeably less water than usual, and salt it lightly — the water needs to be thick with starch and the Pecorino is already salty.
2. 2
   Toast the cracked pepper in a wide dry pan for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add a ladle of pasta water and let it simmer.
3. 3
   Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of the packet time.
4. 4
   Put the grated Pecorino in a bowl and work in a little hot pasta water to a smooth, thick paste. Let it cool slightly — direct heat is what makes it seize into strings.
5. 5
   Drain the pasta, reserving plenty of water, and toss it in the peppery pan off the heat for a minute to drop the temperature.
6. 6
   Add the cheese paste and toss hard, loosening with pasta water until the sauce turns creamy and clings.
7. 7
   Serve immediately with more Pecorino and pepper.