The tonnarelli cacio e pepe with a typical Roman recipe, you can make homemade fresh tonnarelli or use ready-made ones and dress them with pecorino cream and a generous sprinkle of pepper.
If you like Roman cuisine, don’t forget to read the recipe:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 294.77 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 39.31 (g) of which sugars 0.71 (g)
- Proteins 12.71 (g)
- Fat 9.23 (g) of which saturated 4.70 (g)of which unsaturated 0.59 (g)
- Fibers 2.63 (g)
- Sodium 2,221.67 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 5 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 people
- 9 oz pasta (tonnarelli (guitar spaghetti))
- 1.76 oz pecorino romano (1.76 oz)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pot 3 qt
- 1 Pan 8-9.5 inches
- 1 Grater
- 1 Bowl
Procedure
The secret to good tonnarelli cacio e pepe is to achieve a thick and enveloping cream; here is the recipe with tips and tricks.
Tonnarelli (or guitar spaghetti) are a type of fresh egg pasta, and you can make homemade fresh tonnarelli.
Put a pot with plenty of water on to cook, salt to taste, and when it boils, throw in the tonnarelli.
Make sure to stir them so they don’t stick to each other; it’s fresh pasta that cooks in 2-3 minutes maximum.
In a bowl, put the freshly grated Pecorino Romano and pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons of cooking water at a time and mix the ingredients until you get a thick cream.
If the cream is too thick, just add cooking water; if it is too liquid, simply add more Tuscan Pecorino.
After 3 minutes, drain the tonnarelli from the pot directly into the bowl and cover the pasta with freshly grated pecorino, adding a generous amount of pepper.
Mix the tonnarelli so they blend well with the pasta; the cream will tend to absorb the liquid component, if necessary, add more cooking water (always half a tablespoon at a time) and mix well.
If the tonnarelli cacio e pepe are too liquid, add a tablespoon of cheese and mix well.
Trick: always mix the tonnarelli and cheese off the heat and when the pasta has slightly cooled (drain and let it rest for 20-30 seconds) otherwise too hot pasta or the fire heat will make the cheese clump together, unfortunately, there is no way to fix this mistake!
Your tonnarelli cacio e pepe are ready!
Plating Tips:
Create a nest of tonnarelli cacio e pepe, making sure to add a couple of spoonfuls of cream on top of the plate, complete the recipe with a grind of fresh pepper.
How to Pair with Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe:
I recommend a white wine that can balance the dish’s richness, like a Chardonnay. If you want a regional pairing, serve with a Frascati Superiore or an Est Est Est.
