Pici Cacio e Pepe | Tasty Business

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil reduces saturated fat while adding flavor.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds umami.

Start by making the dough for the pici pasta.

Combine equal amounts of fine semolina flour and water, using 200 grams of each.

Add a touch of olive oil to the dough mixture.

Mix until a stiff dough forms, then tip it out onto a workbench.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and malleable, ensuring it fully hydrates.

Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest for half an hour.

While the dough is resting, prepare the sauce ingredients: grate the cheeses and toast the peppercorns.

Toast whole black peppercorns in a dry pan until they start to pop and release their oils.

Transfer the toasted peppercorns to a pestle and mortar and grind them coarsely.

Grate about 30 grams of pecorino and 30 grams of parmesan cheese per portion and set aside.

After the dough has rested, portion it into equal pieces of about 10 to 15 grams each.

Roll each piece into a long, worm-shaped pasta, about 12 inches long, using your hands.

Prepare a pot of boiling water, ensuring it is well salted, and taste the water to confirm seasoning.

Add the pici pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until it floats to the surface.

In a separate pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with a touch of olive oil to create an emulsion.

Add the ground black pepper to the butter and olive oil mixture.

Once the pici is cooked, transfer it directly into the butter and pepper mixture.

Add some of the reserved pasta water to the pan to ensure a good amount of liquid for the sauce.

Add a handful of grated pecorino and parmesan cheese to the pasta, allowing it to melt slightly before mixing.

Mix the pasta off the heat to emulsify the sauce, ensuring it has a good texture and enough liquid.

Plate the pici, ensuring it sits in its own sauce, and finish with a touch of parmesan.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens