Cacio e pepe

cacio_e_pepe.txt

1 pound bucatini or similarly thick pasta (spaghetti in times of need;
   cacio e pepe needs thick sturdy pasta)
4 ounces (~2 cups) of pecorino romano finely grated
   (or gran padano or parmigiano reggiano depending on what you can find)
3 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
Black pepepr (freshly ground)

You need two pans. I use a 12" frying pan and a 3qt saucier.
You can replace the saucier with another large frying pan.

In the saucier, add 2TB of olive oil and 1TB of butter. Over medium-high
heat (after the butter is melted) add ~1 teaspoon of freshly ground black
pepper and toast slightly. Turn heat off. (It's got to be good quality,
freshly ground black pepper. That plastic grinder you got in the store
for $3 8 months ago won't cut it). If you don't have the good stuff, skip
toasting the pepper but still do the olive oil & butter thing.

In the 12" frying pan, place your pasta and cover slightly with water.
Add a pinch of salt and boil according to directions. NOTE: This will 
result in the traditional over-cooked American pasta. Reduce the cooking
time by at least 1 minute for al dente.)

NB: This is the point at which you've got at least 8-10 minutes. The olive
oil and pepper mix is done; you're waiting for the pasta to boil and cook.
I usually throw together a simple green salad with a vinaigrette or some other
light side.

When the pasta is done (DO NOT DRAIN THE PASTA) add 3TB of pasta water to the
saucier. With tongs, lift the pasta and slightly drip dry, then add it to the
saucier. Drizzle 1-2 TB of olive oil over the bucatini. Add your cheese to the
saucier. Using your tongs, toss everything until well mixed and the cheese is all
melted.
  * You MUST have turned the heat off on the saucier; if it's too hot, the cheese
    will clump and be disgusting
  * Your goal is a creamy emulsification that covers every noodle equally
  * If you need more liquidity while tossing, add more pasta water in TB increments
  
Season with salt and black pepper. Serve with more grated cheese & black pepper.

NOTES: This, like many Italian and French recipes, requires nearly flawless
technique. It's simple and sparse so there's no way to cover up mistakes. It's
easy to end up with a goopy pile of pasta with clumps of yucky cheese.

Things to watch out for:
  * adding too much olive oil or butter. Be judicious; you can always add more
    at the tossing/emulsification stage
  * only salt at the end; your cheese is going to add quite a bit of salt; once
    again, it's a matter of having a light hand
  * too much heat on the saucier