L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 38 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES C acio e Pepe is proba- bly the most famous, simplest, and most controversial dish of Rome's cuisine. I've seen numerous recipes claiming to be the official, authentic ver- sion. Perhaps the simplest and tastiest version uses nothing more than high-quality pasta, ground pepper and authentic Pecorino Romano D.O.P. cheese. Other versions add butter or olive oil (or both) but that, I think, clouds the beauty of the dish. Pecorino Romano D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) is made in a very specific way and produced in a specific geo- graphic region including areas of Lazio (the Italian region that includes Rome). Grated Pecorino that you find in your local super- market is NOT Pecorino Romano D.O.P.! When I arrived in Rome one October, the bellman at the air- port hotel where we swapped some cars around told me that he lived in the neighborhood where I would be staying. Testaccio is a quiet working class neighborhood close, but not too close, to the center of Rome. This neighbor- hood features some of Rome's best restaurants. This gentleman told me that I must try the Cacio e Pepe at Flavio Al Velavevodet- to in Testaccio. So off I went. I found the restaurant at lunch frequented by Rome's business- people – no tourists to be found—which told me right away it would be worthwhile. Surpris- ingly, their version of Cacio e JOSEPH BECCI Pepe used tonnarelli, a square- shaped long pasta, rather than the round-shaped spaghetti that you find in Cacio e Pepe in America. I knew that at home I had the KitchenAid stand mixer attach- ment for tonnarelli, but had never tried it. The Cacio e Pepe at Flavio al Velavevodetto was as simple as could be, letting the few fresh ingredients speak for themselves. There may be arguments about which is the best Cacio e Pepe in Rome, but this version certainly ranks among them. Here's my version of tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe alla Los Angeles. This recipe serves 4 people as a primo piatto! Cacio e Pepe Los Angeles (via Rome) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017 Ingredients and Directions: Tonnarelli • 14 ounces (by weight) of flour – I recommend ½ "00" flour and ½ semolina flour. Use all- purpose flour if either of those is unavailable. • 4 jumbo eggs • Cacio e Pepe • Freshly ground black pepper • 1 cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano D.O.P. Tonnarelli 1. Mix the flours and eggs using the "well method" to create the pasta dough. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes and wrap in waxed paper and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours. 2. Roll out using the KitchenAid stand mixer with the sheet attachment to rather thick thickness – I went up to setting #4 on the sheet attachment. 3. Allow the pasta to dry to the point where it will separate into strands when put it through the tonnarelli attachment, but not so dry that it becomes brittle. You will need to test this using a sam- ple piece of rolled-out dough. 4. Cut the dough sheets into about 12-inch lengths, and cut using the tonnarelli attachment. Place on sheet trays layered with parchment paper to hold in the refrigerator until ready for use. The pasta can also be frozen but will become very brittle and needs to be handled very careful- ly. Cacio e Pepe 1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. If available, use a pot with a removable strainer insert. IMPORTANT!! - What makes this dish successful is using the starchy cooking water left over from cooking the pasta in the dish, so if you have to drain the pasta in a strainer, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. 2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and grind in fresh black pepper to taste. Gently toast the pepper. If you burn it, start again. 3. Drop the fresh tonnarelli pasta into the boiling water. When the pasta floats to the top, cook for AT MOST 1 minute and drain. 4. Ladle some pasta water into the hot skillet containing the pep- per. Swirl around and then add the cooked pasta. 5. Continuing over medium- low heat, add in most of the Pecorino Romano cheese (reserv- ing some for serving at the table). Ladle in a little more pasta water and stir the pasta around to create a cheesy, starchy sauce. 6. Serve and pass the remain- ing Pecorino Romano. Cacio e pepe is a simple, yet flavorsome way to cook your pasta

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