Cacio e Pepe with Yellow Tomatoes

Method

1. Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a splash of warm water. Mix vigorously until a thick paste forms. Set aside.
2. Cut the yellow cherry tomatoes in half.
3. In a large pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil with 2 cloves of garlic (in their skins) and 2 dried red chilies. Add the halved tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the garlic cloves. Transfer the tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove skins and seeds. Set the creamy tomato sauce aside.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti for a few minutes less than al dente (about 2 minutes less than package time). Reserve pasta water before draining.
6. Transfer the undercooked spaghetti to the pan with the tomato cream. Add a ladle of pasta water and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce (risottare), stirring frequently and adding more pasta water as needed, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is creamy.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the pasta cool slightly by tossing it gently.
8. Add the prepared cacio e pepe paste to the pasta. Toss and stir energetically, adding a drizzle of pasta water if necessary, until the cheese is fully emulsified and the sauce is glossy and creamy.
9. Plate the pasta. Garnish with additional grated Pecorino Romano and a few yellow cherry tomato halves or a drizzle of the tomato cream, as desired.