Cacio e Pepe Sauce

Description

Sugo Cacio e Pepe is a masterpiece of Lazio’s poor cuisine, now a must-have classic even in Siena’s trattorias (often served with pici). It is a sauce based on a perfect balance between only three ingredients: cheese, pepper and cooking water. Its uniqueness lies in its consistency, which should be neither liquid nor lumpy:

• The “Cacio”: Strictly Pecorino Romano DOP is used, a savory, tangy, aged cheese that, when finely grated and combined with warm water, creates a velvety emulsion.

• The Pepper: It should be in grains, roasted whole in a pan and then crushed or coarsely ground at the time. Roasting releases the essential oils, imparting a citrusy, pungent aroma that balances the fattiness of the cheese.

• The Technique: No cream or butter is used. The creaminess comes entirely from the starch in the cooking water binding the pecorino fat (emulsion process).