Pici cacio e pepe: photo and video recipe of the first course, prepared from scratch!

Born from the fusion of two cuisines, the pici cacio e pepe prepared with the original Sienese recipe are truly sensational.

The recipe for cacio e pepe is of Roman origin and, according to tradition, the pasta format that best suits it is spaghetti . But what happens if a traditional dish from Lazio borders on Tuscany? Pici cheese and pepper are born! This first course of fresh pasta is the result of the contamination of two different cuisines and, taking the best of each, it returns something truly sensational .

Pici , in fact, a sort of spaghetti prepared with water and flour (00 and semolina), are much more full-bodied and by their nature attract a lot of seasoning. As in the traditional recipe, also in this case we will use only three ingredients , in addition to those necessary for the preparation of the pasta: pecorino, pepper and pici. Let's discover together the original recipe of pici cacio e pepe.

We also have the video recipe to prepare them at home from scratch!

How to prepare the recipe for pici cacio e pepe

If you wish, you can also prepare the pici one or two days in advance and keep them in the refrigerator spread out on a clean cloth and dusted with cornmeal to prevent them from sticking. For a quick first course, you can also opt for ready-made pici, fresh or dried. Let's see immediately how to proceed in both cases!

How to make pici

1. Start some pasta. Put the two types of flour and the oil in a bowl (or upside down on a work surface), then add the water little by little, mixing by hand.

2. When the dough begins to come together, transfer it to the work surface and continue kneading . You'll have to get a smooth but not too hard dough.
3. Cover it with an upside down bowl and let it rest for an hour.

4. After the resting time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of 3-4 mm .

5. Using a knife or a pasta wheel, cut 2 mm wide strips and work each one with the palms of your hands until you have obtained a spaghettone approximately 3 mm in diameter. Then cut them so that they are 30 cm long .
6. Cook the pici in abundant salted water (it will take about 10 minutes).

How to make pici cacio e pepe

1. If, on the other hand, you are using ready-made pasta, dip the pasta into the water. In this case cooking will be much longer: we are talking about 30 minutes , but always check the packaging.

2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pecorino cream. Finely grate the cheese into a bowl, add a generous grind of pepper and a little cooking water. Mix to obtain a thick, lump-free paste (if needed, you can also add more water or make the cream over low heat).

3. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and transfer it to a pan with a ladle of its cooking water.
4. Add the cream cheese and stir well over low heat until creamy. If necessary, you can add more water.

5. Once ready, serve the pici cacio e pepe piping hot, completing with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper .

As mentioned, this first course is a reinterpretation of a traditional Roman recipe : spaghetti cacio e pepe .

storage

This pasta is essential to consume hot and as soon as it is ready . The creamy sauce that is created with the cooking water, the cheese and the pepper is mouth-watering but, over time it tends to cool down and lose its characteristic creamy consistency. We also advise against freezing in the freezer.

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