Cacio e Pepe - Feb 23, 2012

This recipe is from the May 2011 issue of Bon Appetit 'Pasta Perfect' spread. Nick and I needed a fast dinner last week and this fit the bill, as pasta so often does. Like most Italian food, this recipe is quite simple with minimal ingredients, most of which can be found in any pantry. I made one substitution and used additional Pecorino cheese for the Grana Padano the recipe called for, which I'm sure made for a less creamy sauce. I also made one addition, adding some fresh rosemary to season. This was amazingly flavorful considering the lack of ingredients, just pasta, butter, pepper, cheese, and, in our case, rosemary. The keys to a successful bowl of pasta are laid out in the magazine article, and they really do make a difference. The two that I find make the biggest improvement in quality include generously salting the pasta water, and significantly under cooking the pasta (I cut my boiling time in half compared to the directions on the package to allow for the additional cooking time in the pan) to make sure the end result is al dente.