Italy: Cacio e Pepe
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In LaBouffe, I often return to the same idea: I eat better when I cook a recipe that listens to my rhythm as much as to my cravings. After a shift, or when the day has left me with that blend of intensity and calm I know so well, I do not need a talkative plate. I want something straightforward, precise, gentle without being lukewarm. That is exactly what I find in cacio e pepe, a Roman recipe that I associate with all of Italy because of its simplicity, but which I am happy to let breathe on the Roman side of things—its piazzas, a late dinner, even a gelato eaten without rushing. I make it with very few ingredients, and I choose them well: 320 g of spaghetti or, better still if I have them, tonnarelli; 120 g of very finely grated pecorino romano; good freshly ground black pepper; and pasta water salted with restraint, because the cheese already brings plenty of intensity. I use neither cream nor butter, because I want to remain true to the Italian spirit of this dish—the kind that proves that the right flavor can come from a simple gesture. I also save a ladleful of pasta water, because that is what binds everything together and gives the sauce its supple texture. I begin by dry-toasting the pepper in a large pan, just enough for it to open up and become fragrant. I cook the pasta al dente, then separately combine the pecorino with a little very hot water to make a smooth, lump-free cream. I then add the pasta to the pan off the heat, pour in a little pasta water, and stir briskly to emulsify; I am looking for that subtle sheen that coats every strand of spaghetti without weighing it down. I finish with another cloud of pepper and serve immediately. What I love is that this recipe does not force anything: it calls for attention, not showmanship. Perhaps that is why it resembles me—I appreciate people who can listen without reducing the other person. In Rome, I see it as a simple, genuine conversation; in my kitchen, it becomes a way of returning to a clear source: a clean, nourishing, deeply soothing meal.
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Where: Italie