THE 4 ROMAN PASTAS
Cacio e Pepe

Considered the original Roman Pasta and the ancestor of Alla Gricia, Amatriciana and Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe has graced Italian tables since Ancient Rome.

Originating as a shepherd’s dish, pastoral laborers enjoyed this dish as it contained simple and portable ingredients: Pecorino Romano (sheep’s milk cheese), dried pasta and black pepper.

Today, we know and love Cacio e Pepe for its creamy richness, achieved through the emulsification or “montecare” - the process of creating a smooth and creamy sauce by blending a fat (cheese, butter, or oil) with liquid (in this case, starchy pasta water). This technique is fundamental in creating the perfect Cacio e Pepe and many other pasta dishes in the Italian cookbook.

Broders’ Cacio E Pepe

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tsp. butter
1/2 cup pecorino romano
1/2 cup grana padano (or parmigiano)
1/2 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup pasta cooking water (you may not need all of it)
1 tbsp. kosher salt (for cooking pasta)
1 lb. spaghetti

DIRECTIONS

Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium low heat. Toss 1/2 a tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper and gently toast until fragrant (about 1 minute). Set aside.
Boil 4 quarts of water, seasoned with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 a cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.
Return the pan with olive oil and black pepper to low heat. Add 3-4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water and butter until melted.
Add in your cooked pasta and stir.
Add in all of the cheese with a drizzle of olive oil and stir vigorously and constantly until the cheese is completely melted and the texture is creamy and emulsified - add more pasta water if needed for consistency.
Garnish with more pecorino romano & black pepper. Serve and enjoy!

IRECTION

The Four Icons of the Roman Table

The expansion of the Roman Empire brought a boom in trade and cultural diversity to Italy – paving the way for the creation of four iconic dishes that are indisputably part of the Roman Table.

But as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t twirled in a day. These dishes were developed over the course of centuries, even millennia, as Romans were exposed to new imported ingredients, adjusted to changing lifestyles and integrated techniques brought from foreign cultures.

There are four iconic Roman Pastas all connected – playing off each other while holding their own place in the canon of Roman cuisine. Try your hand at cooking up some old world magic.