pretty by the bay

I don’t see myself (or you) standing over a stove making your own marinara sauce on a random Tuesday night. That’s definitely more of a weekend project, isn’t it? If I eat pasta on a random Tuesday night, it’s likely to be jarred sauce that I’ve spruced up with a few veggies and dried herbs. There are tons of quality jarred sauces that taste as good as homemade without significant amounts of oil, salt and preservatives. But sometimes I want a creamy, cheesy sauce, and I’m not willing to get that from a jar. I’m sure there are decent jarred alfredo sauces, but they always look so pasty and glue-like, and I can’t bring myself to buy them.

Solution: Cacio e Pepe, or pasta with pecorino romano cheese and black pepper. It’s a super simple, super tasty sauce that gets most of its flavor and texture from cheese, with a bit of pasta water and cream (or half and half) thrown in to help the cheese adhere to the pasta. As we ate this, Corey asked what was in the sauce and was surprised by the short list of ingredients. It packs a flavor punch, and the secret is to buy the best cheese you can afford. Trader Joe’s is my favorite spot for cheap, fancy cheese; I got a brick of pecorino romano for about $5, and that was enough to make this dish two times (with leftover cheese, to boot). If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s, you can probably get a decent deal from your local grocery store’s deli cheese case. It’s usually cheaper to buy the cheese ungrated, and you can purchase just the amount you need. As with my fancy cupcakes, I’m not afraid to splurge on one quality ingredient that will improve the quality of the entire dish. One of my favorite Italian restaurants charges $14 for this dish; I made it myself for a fraction of that cost.

Cacio e Pepe

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

serves 2 to 4, depending on preferred portion size; can easily be doubled to serve more

1 c (about 2 oz) finely grated pecorino romano cheese, plus additional coarsely grated cheese for serving
8 oz dried spaghetti, regular or whole wheat
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp cream or half and half
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 to 1 tsp finely ground black pepper, to taste

Place the finely grated pecorino in a medium bowl.

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large stock pot. Add the spaghetti and salt to taste. Stir frequently and cook until al dente or per package directions. Before draining the pasta, use a ladle to remove 1 cup of pasta cooking water; set aside. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl.

Whisk 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the bowl with the finely grated pecorino cheese. Whisk until smooth, then add the cream or half and half, olive oil, and black pepper. Slowly pour the cheese mixture over the hot pasta, tossing to coat. Allow the dish to rest for a minute or so, tossing frequently. If the sauce appears too thick, add more pasta water (a spoonful or two at a time) to thin it out. Serve, topping with coarsely grated pecorino cheese and more black pepper, if desired.