Nonna's 4-Ingredient Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

• Tonnarelli or spaghetti320 g
• Pecorino Romano, finely grated150 g
• Black peppercorns, freshly cracked2 tsp
• Sea salt1 pinch

Method

1. 1

   Toast the cracked pepper in a dry pan until it smells like a memory. 60 seconds, no more.

2. 2

   Boil pasta in LESS water than usual so it goes starchy. Salt it like the sea, but a gentle sea.

3. 3

   Ladle a cup of that cloudy pasta water into the pepper pan. Let it bubble.

4. 4

   Off the heat, whisk the pecorino into a splash of pasta water to make a paste. Heat is the enemy here.

5. 5

   Toss pasta, cheese paste and pepper together, adding water a splash at a time until it's glossy. Serve immediately or I'm coming over.