Scientific cheese and pepper by Dario Bressanini

Obtaining a perfect cacio e pepe is possible thanks to the scientific recipe by Dario Bressanini who reveals all the secrets.

We all know well that there were some cornerstones of Italian cuisine whose preparation is sacred, but that there was even a study behind some of them is a relatively recent fact. One of these is Dario Bressanini's scientific cacio e pepe. We should all know that cacio e pepe is prepared with only three ingredients, pasta, pecorino and pepper, however obtaining the right cream can be quite difficult.

So science comes to our aid by explaining how the maturation of pecorino is the key to the success of the dish. This, together with the correct water temperature, will produce a perfect cacio e pepe. Curious to know how it's done?

How to prepare the scientific cacio e pepe recipe by Dario Bressanini

1. First, cook the pasta in salted water. The amount of water needed is less than you would normally use because you need to get starch-rich water.
2. Place the grated pecorino cheese in a bowl and then gradually add the boiling pasta water (a little at a time), stirring until it has dissolved without forming lumps.
3. If this happens, heat the bowl with the pecorino in a bain-marie until it reaches 55°C . Staying below this temperature or exceeding it, the result is a cacio e pepe with lumps.
4. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and transfer it to a bowl. Only at this point pour in the pecorino cream and complete with plenty of ground black pepper.

In short, everything is in the temperature, a bit like in the carbonara recipe where the egg should never be added to the heat.

storage

Cacio e pepe is one of the few pasta dishes that should be enjoyed at the moment and that does not improve in any way when heated.