Cacio e Pepe

Method

1. Crush the black peppercorns in a mortar until coarsely ground.
2. Transfer the crushed pepper to a pan and toast over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add a spoonful of water to the toasted pepper to create a pepper broth. Let it steep for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
4. Grate the pecorino Romano using a microplane.
5. Gradually add warm water to the grated cheese, mixing to form a thick paste (pasta di cacio).
6. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes.
7. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the pepper broth, adding more boiling water as needed, and finish cooking for about 10 minutes total.
8. When the pasta is cooked and the liquid is brothy, remove from heat and let it cool slightly (drop temperature by 10-20°C).
9. Add all the cheese paste to the pasta and toss vigorously to emulsify into a creamy sauce.
10. Plate the pasta and top with additional crushed pepper.