Of all the food in Rome, Cacio e Pepe, a delicious authentic pasta dish, might just top the list of favorites.
The three ingredients are pasta, pecorino romano cheese and lots of freshly-ground black pepper. Alright, maybe you need to add a little bit of butter or olive oil and a dash of pasta water- but still, so easy!
And though it is a classic Roman dish, it’s no surprise that each time we ate (read inhaled) it, it was different.
Not really good or bad, but slightly different. Some were creamier, some were cheesier, some had more pepper. And then there was the oh-my-God-my-mouth-is-on-fire kind of spicy. Yeah, heavy on the black pepper.
If you are visiting Rome- stop by your nearest trattoria. It is part of an unwritten Italian law to have it on the menu. And I dare you not to want to order it again before you leave!
In fact, I think I would tell you to leave any trattoria that didn’t have it on the menu. No self-respecting Roman trat would be caught dead sans Cacio e Pepe.
Have you ever had Cacio e Pepe? What did you think?