Cacio E Pepe

C sent me this recipe from Anthony Bourdain while I was away on vacation with Miss F and my parents. I added it to our weekly menu for when we returned home.  How can you go wrong with cheesy pasta inside a cheesy bowl?    I originally planned to make homemade pasta for this dish, but I decided against it because I think it would overcook in the sauce.  Dried pasta worked perfectly.  This was such a rich dish, but it was really quite simple to make.  I am going to try the same process next time I make fettuccine alfredo.

Cacio E Pepe

¾ cup grated parmesan

¾ pound tagliolini or spaghetti
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
2 ½ cups grated pecorino cheese

Spread a very thin layer of cheese in a warm non-stick pan, forming into a 6” circle. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Use a spatula to slide the cheese out of the pan over an upside down bowl that isn’t more than 2” high. Use tongs to press the cheese over the bowl. Set aside to cool.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 2 ¼ cups of the pasta water.

Add the pasta water, butter and pepper to a hot skillet. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss thoroughly in the water until the pasta absorbs nearly all of the water. Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese to the pasta, stir well to combine. Garnish with more grated cheese and pepper and serve in the parmesan bowl.

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