“Cacio e pepe is the dish that’s followed me throughout my entire life,” says Nadia Caterina Munno, who found fame as The Pasta Queen on TikTok.
“From the dinner table as a small child to the hectic trattoria down the street to standing around the stove with friends after a night at the discoteca, cacio e pepe has been a constant presence. It’s earthy, silky, simple and satisfying – and, perhaps best of all, it comes together fast.”
Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
300g finely ground Pecorino Romano
1tbsp coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
Sea salt
450 grams homemade Tonnarelli or store-bought fresh spaghetti alla chitarra
Method:
1. Fill a large pot halfway with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, in a medium bowl, combine the Pecorino Romano and 240 millilitres water and stir passionately, adding more water a little at a time as needed to make a luscious cream.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the ground pepper over low heat, swirling to lightly toast it and bring out its gorgeous aromas, about 30 seconds. Add a splash of water and swirl to infuse it with the pepper’s spicy and smoky aromatics. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, season lightly with salt. Drop in the tonnarelli and cook until the pasta is tender, two to two-and-a-half minutes.
5. Transfer the pasta directly to the pan with the pepper. Pour in the Pecorino Romano sauce and toss vigorously until the pasta is drenched in peppery sauce and the sauce is silky and smooth. Add the tears of the gods [the pasta water] a spoonful at a time if the sauce is clumpy and stir passionately until smooth.
6. Serve drizzled with any remaining sauce in the pan and garnish with a scrunch of pepper.
The Pasta Queen: A Just Gorgeous Authentic Italian Cookbook by Nadia Caterina Munno, with Katie Parla, is published by HarperCollins. Photography by Giovanna Di Lisciandro. Available now.
