Spaghetti Carbonara
Silky Roman pasta bound with egg yolk, pecorino, and crisp guanciale -- no cream, ever.
Italian
Free recipe
Cacio e Pepe
Three ingredients, one technique: a glossy pecorino-and-pepper sauce that lives or dies on emulsion.
In the kitchen
Method
1
Toast the cracked pepper in a wide pan for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2
Cook the pasta in minimal salted water so it turns extra starchy.
3
Make a smooth slurry of pecorino and a little cool pasta water in a bowl.
4
Add hot pasta and pepper to the slurry, tossing vigorously with splashes of pasta water until a creamy sauce coats every strand.
Cook's note: taste as you go and adjust salt and acid at the end. Times are a guide; trust your senses.
More Italian
You might also like
Penne all Arrabbiata
An angry little tomato sauce sharpened with garlic and dried chili, finished with parsley.
Tagliatelle Bolognese
A patient northern ragu of beef and pork softened with milk and white wine over fresh ribbons.