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Cacio e Pepe

A traditional Italian recipe well known across the world, Cacio e Pepe combines three simple ingredients and demonstrates perfectly why the Italians refer to pasta water as liquid gold! A thicker pasta like Garofalo Spaghettone XXL, an original creation of Pasta Garofalo, works perfectly with this creamy cheese sauce. It has a thicker diameter than traditional spaghetti and needs a longer cooking time, but the time is worth it

5 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salt to taste

200g Pecorino Romano, grated

400g Pasta Garofalo Spaghettone XXL (500g pack)

Black pepper as much as you like to create your dish

Method

Place a large pan of salted water over a high heat to boil.

Add the Garofalo Spaghettone XXL to the boiling water and allow to cook for 14 minutes, which is 2 minutes before the time indicated on the pack.

After a good few minutes into the pasta cooking time (about 8-10 for Spaghettone), take 2- 3 ladles of the starchy pasta water and add to your grated Pecorino Romano in a bowl, stir well to melt the cheese and make into a creamy sauce. It is essential to use the pasta cooking water containing the starch released by the pasta (and not tap water), it is this starch that will prevent the proteins in the cheese clotting on contact with the heat to avoid lumps forming in the sauce.

Add the black pepper to the freshly made cheese sauce and mix well together.

At the right time (2 minutes before the cooking time indicated on the pack) drain the pasta and return to the saucepan.

Add the cheese and black pepper sauce to the pasta and sauté over a low heat for a minute or two until the pasta is cooked and coated in the creamy cheese sauce.

Serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of black pepper.