Go to the Recipe: Perfect Cacio e Pepe
How about a non-stick flat-bottom wok for a pasta finishing pan? Mine is shaped much like a taller sauteuse and it's even Control Freak compatible.
Learning the difference between using the box grater and Microplane was insightful - thank you for that break down
Glad you found it helpful! The box grater takes a little more elbow grease for sure, but it's worth it.
Even with a flat bottom, the wok will have a much smaller cooking surface that it's in contact with the cooktop, and I worry you'll run into the same issues I had with the induction-compatible Agnelli pasta pan with the sides not delivering enough heat to keep the pepper broth at a boil during the mantecatura stage. I'm also not a huge fan of nonstick for finishing pastas EXCEPT for super delicate items like ricotta gnocchi that can easily stick and fall apart even when finished with care.
have you tried making this recipe with gluten-free pasta? ATK and Milk Street advise making your own pasta water with cornstarch to get extra starch to make up for the lack of starch in gf pasta cooking water.
What is the usual culprit if the cheese seizes up? Didn't let it cool enough?
> Off-heat, add half (100 g) of cheese to pasta and toss until fully emulsified into sauce.
In the video it looks much slower than this?
I hated using the smallest side of the box grater but can't argue with the results. I'm 71, all of my grandparents were born in Italy and I have made pasta hundreds, if not thousands, of times but never cacio e pepe. Who knew black pepper soup was the starting point? Thanks, Sasha, for this simple, straightforward and easy to make recipe. And your right, smaller portions for pasta are the way to go for me as well.
That's a great looking cacio e pepe! Bravo. Love the plate, too.
Not quite as good as I hoped. I did get a nice creamy sauce but it tasted a little too starchy for me. I probably used a total of 2.5-3 cups pasta water during the mantecatura phase plus maybe another half cup in adjusting the sauce consistency. Will keep testing :-).
Greetings from Spain! I’ve been trying to nail this one and it’s still resisting me! I’m using my old trusty de buyer stainless steel pan for finishing the sauce. I’m getting a thin layer of cheese sticking to the pan while I’m incorporating the pecorino off heat, and the sauce feels a bit runny to me. My guess is that the pan is a bit too hot and the pecorino is splitting a little bit. Any tips for getting the right temp for the pan? Many thanks!!
Thanks for such a detailed breakdown! This turned out perfectly, and now I have a core technique I can use for all kinds of things. Also: taking the couple of extra minutes to toast the peppercorns and grind them in the mortar and pestle was so worth it.
