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Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients:

salt

1 Teaspoons

1 pound bucatini (dry)

finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 Cups

freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

1 ½ Tablespoons

Preparation mode:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook bucatini in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Place grated Pecorino Romano cheese into a large glass bowl and mix with a fork to make sure the cheese contains no lumps.
3. Once the bucatini are al dente, lift them out with a spaghetti fork or tongs and put them directly into the bowl with the cheese. Do not allow the water to drain too much.
4. Add one ladle of pasta water to the bowl. Stir the bucatini around until a cream has formed. Add more pasta water, little by little, until a thick cream has formed. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over the pasta. Toss and serve immediately.

Footnotes:

This peasant food comes from Roman sheep herders who had little time and money to spend on eating. They used their sheep's cheese and a bit of the water that cooked the pasta to create a cream, then added black pepper to give it some extra flavor. Cheap, easy, and fast: this was perfect for them and for us even today!