Conquer this Italian delight with a food processor and the right kind of spaghetti

Earlier in this summer, I was able to take my children to Italy, where my grandmother was from, to visit some of my relatives. We had a particularly memorable visit to Rome, where my mother’s cousin Marco, a very animated octogenarian, walked us all around his neighborhood near the Colosseum, pointing out the historical sites. The guy logged 8,000 steps wearing a pair of dress shoes, a starched, salmon-colored shirt and a blazer in the 85-degree heat, chewing on a cigar the whole time.

When you eat in Italy, you think a lot about the beauty of simple things — a bowl of fresh apricots, a shot of espresso in a heavy demitasse cup, a spoonful of ricotta cheese drizzled with a neighbor’s honey. Cacio e pepe — kaa-chee-ow ee peh-pay — is a pasta eaten in the Lazio region of Italy, where Rome is located. It’s a first course you might eat at lunchtime that’s basically just a silky, salty pasta made with sheep milk cheese, pasta water and pepper. When I got home and tried to recreate it, I soon figured out that it’s actually kind of hard to make despite its simplicity. Unless you learn some tricks.

The main problem that happens when you make it is that all the cheese melts together into a slime ball. To get it right, I had to call in my friend Riza Brown, a culinary arts professor at UAA. Her cacio cred comes from helping out at Fromagios Artisan Cheese, where on special occasions you can get the pasta tossed in a giant wheel of cheese. Lacking a cheese wheel, we decided to follow what’s called the “paste method,” where you make a cheese-pepper paste and then toss it with the hot pasta and pasta water. My favorite paste method recipe, roughly adapted here, is from Smitten Kitchen.

A few tips before you get started: You cannot, I repeat, cannot use pre-grated cheese, because it usually contains anti-caking agents like potato starch that will mess you up. You have to grate the cheese yourself, or as this method recommends, use a food processor or sturdy hand blender. You will get the best results if you use what’s called a bronze-cut spaghetti, which is made in such a way that the exterior of the pasta is rough and starchy looking — not smooth and shiny. DeCecco brand pasta is a good one, and so is the brand of bulk spaghetti, Garofalo, that Costco sells. Some people toast their peppercorns and crush them in a mortar and pestle for max pepe-ness. Riza likes to saute some garlic and red pepper flakes and drizzle it on top. And, finally, heat your big pasta serving bowl. A small touch, but it really gives it the chef’s kiss.

Cacio e pepe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

7 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish

1 pound spaghetti

Freshly ground black pepper

Method: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and put in the pasta. Set a timer for about 30 seconds less than the cooking time on the package. Meanwhile, load the cheese into the food processor and add as much freshly cracked pepper as you’d like. Pulse the cheese and pepper into a very fine meal. With the food processor going continuously, drizzle in 6 to 8 tablespoons of cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the cheese coalesces into a smooth paste. While the pasta is cooking, dip a measuring cup into the pot and collect 1 1/2 cups salted, starchy pasta water and set aside. When the timer goes off, drain the pasta and return it to the pot, off the heat. Add about three-fourths cups of paste and a half cup of pasta water and toss well, until the cheese paste is distributed. Repeat with one quarter cup cheese paste and pasta water, until it’s evenly coated to your taste. Pour into a serving bowl and serve with additional grated pecorino and pepper.