Dressing Up Cacio e Pepe
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If there is a simpler, more budget-friendly supper in the world than the Italian classic Cacio e Pepe, I'd really like to know what it is. The version in the Epicurious database (pictured above) calls for the addition of some fresh arugula, but at its purest, the dish is pasta, cheese, and black pepper. The end. But the brightness of the peppercorns mixed with the creamy-smooth texture of the spaghetti and the fragrant, tart Pecorino Romano is a flavor and texture combination I adore. It's only three ingredients, but it tastes like so much more. Its simplicity and goodness reminds me of the old story about the little prince who never ate anything that tasted better than fresh brown bread with butter.
Unfortunately however, for some people, three basic ingredients ain't enough. My husband calls this dry pasta and refuses to eat it. (Any pasta dish not doused liberally in some kind of sauce is "dry pasta," if you ask him.) And I have to admit he's right when he argues that you'd never see this dish offered on a restaurant menu, because, well, it's hard to charge more than a couple of bucks for it.
This week I'll make cacio e pepe with some wilted arugula, and I may feel compelled to dress it up a bit more by tossing in a couple of sliced tomatoes, too. (We're in the midst of some serious CSA-induced panic at my house: At this point we're so overrun with produce I'd put sliced tomatoes into my breakfast cereal if I could.) But only under duress would I mess with a recipe for simple perfection.
Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Bon Appétit | May 2005
Yield: Makes 2 servings
Pasta with Pecorino and Black Pepper
This is an old Roman recipe in the tradition of la cucina povera that has always been a favorite of poor and rich alike. (Cacio is a word for "cheese" in Southern Italy.) It is incredibly simple and quick to prepare, but depends on having good-quality Pecorino Romano and pasta, and fragrant peppercorns in your larder. Make it with long or short pasta, whichever you prefer. The arugula is our addition; it brings fresh flavor and color to the dish.
Ingredients
6 ounces penne or bucatini
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (packed) fresh arugula, torn into pieces
1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1 ounce)
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Fill large serving bowl with hot water to heat bowl; let stand while cooking pasta. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Pour out hot water from serving bowl. Immediately add drained pasta and oil to bowl, then arugula and cheese and toss to coat. If dry, add some of reserved pasta cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Do you have a favorite simple dish that sometimes gets dressed up for company?
By Siobhan Adcock
Photo by Pornchai Mittongtare
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