Cacio e Pepe

Just three ingredients — spaghetti, Pecorino Romano and black pepper — yet one of the most technically demanding pasta dishes in existence.

Cacio e pepe is perhaps the purest expression of Roman cooking philosophy — extraordinary results from almost nothing. The dish predates carbonara by centuries, with origins as a shepherds' food in the hills around Rome. Shepherds travelling with their flocks for months carried aged Pecorino Romano, dried pasta and black peppercorns — the pepper serving as flavour and as a warming agent in cold mountain nights. The technique of emulsifying cheese with starchy pasta water to create a sauce without butter or cream is a genuine culinary achievement. Roman chefs insist the only authentic version uses Pecorino Romano — not Parmesan — and toasted whole peppercorns ground coarsely, never pre-ground.

Toast whole peppercorns yourself. Use less pasta water than usual for extra starch. Remove from heat completely before adding cheese. Never add cream.