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–+ servings
Cacio e Pepe garnished with a little more cheese and black pepper

Infallibile Cacio e Pepe

Using a bit of corn starch gel as an emulsifier makes this version of Cacio e Pepe foolproof, or as an Italian would say "Infallibile!"
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Dinner
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 50 grams water a generous 3 tbsp
  • 5 grams cornstarch about 2 tsp
  • 4 oz grated Pecorino Romano see notes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb dry pasta
  • salt
  • 4 oz reserved pasta cooking water

Instructions
 

Prepare the cornstarch gel

  • Place the 50 grams of water and 5 grams of cornstarch in a microwavable bowl and whisk into a slurry.
  • Place in the microwave for 15 seconds. The corn starch should have started to thicken, but also has drifted toward the bottom of the bowl. Re-whisk the solution.
  • Return to the microwave for another 15 seconds and re-whisk. At this point the gel should be stable. If not one more round in the microwave and one more whisk should do it.
  • Allow the cornstarch gel to cool

Prepare the sauce ingredients

  • Select a container that works well with an immersion blender. Most immersion blenders come with a mixing cup, and wide mouthed mason jars generally work well.
  • Add the grated cheese, cooled cornstarch gel, and olive oil to the container. Also add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Prepare the Pasta

  • Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Alternately use the directions available at https://thought4food.life/kenjis-new-way-to-cook-pasta/. The pasta water should be well seasoned with salt. Think salted like soup (delicious), not salted like the ocean (not delicious).
  • Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water at the end of the cooking process.

Blend the Sauce and Finish the Pasta

  • Add four ounces of the pasta cooking water to sauce ingredients and use an immersion blender to puree everything into a homogenous sauce.
  • Add the still hot, drained pasta and the pureed sauce to a pot and stir with a silicon spatula over medium-low heat. Continue heating and stiring until the sauce has obtained the desired creamy texture and clings nicely to the pasta.
  • Plate the pasta and garnish with additional grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

  • Pecorino Romano is the traditional cheese for Cacio e Pepe. But some people prefer Parmigiano Reggiano or a blend of the two cheeses. Other flavorful, aged grating cheeses will also work. The choice is really up to you.
  • 4 ounces of hard grating cheese, by weight, is about 1  1/3 cup in volume.
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