Tried to make a traditional cacio e pepe. What's the secret to a smooth emulsion between pasta water and pecorino?
I want a smooth sauce with no pecorino lumps. Did I let the pasta water cool too much or not mix well enough?
I bought a grated pecorino from whole foods and maybe it had something in it. The ingredients says: raw sheep's milk, rennet, salt, powdered cellulose.
by AlphaBoner
7 Comments
The cellulose is a thickener that also keeps the cheese from clumping. You should be grating your own, fresh, every time. I use my zyliss grater at least every other day. I’ve been working on my cacio y pepe technique for about a year now. I try to make it 2-3 times per month. So far, I’m better than the bougie restaurant in my tourist town that is “renowned for their pasta.”
grate fresh and keep pan hot
Grate it fresh and fine, like powder rather than strips. The finer it is the faster it’ll melt and mix/emulsify with the water.
You cooked it too hot and used preground cheese.
No pre-grated cheese. The coating messes with the consistency.
* Crack peppercorns fresh (coarse)
* Toast peppercorns in what will be in final pan while pasta cooks (lower heat if you get more than light smoke)
* Pasta water with peppercorns for a sec (reserve more just in case) – ratio takes time to get right
* Dump pasta into pasta water/peppercorn pan(about 1 minute less than al dente) – take pan off heat
* Mix in pecorino flipping/stirring constantly
This might not be the “right” way but I find it easiest to combine the pecorino and pasta water in a separate bowl to get it nice and smooth and then add it back to the pan and toss in the pasta and pepper. And like others said, fresh grated
Did you use frozen Pecorino?