As you walk along the cobbled streets of Rome, you’ll inevitably stumble through a myriad of cafes, pizzarias, trattorias and ristorantes… some dismally over priced and wholly uneventful. Pizza ubiquitously available, has always been my choice, easy to pick up and eat as you go, or stand in a bar-cafe or at night, perhaps sit and relax in one of the open-air trattorias that lined many a piazza or on discreet alley ways around town.
There is yet another “Rome-grown” favorite- Cacio y Pepe. The sublimely simple yet versatile pasta that warms your heart and fills your craving for a hearty load.
As the name denotes in Italian, this is just cheese and pepper pasta. You could have it on its own or with a primi dish of fish or meat. You can dress it up with sautéed mushroom, add abit of chives or other herbs to your heart’s content, maybe some slices of grilled chicken. However you like it, the creamy, peppery taste and subtle texture of the pasta, takes you through your meal filled and satiated.
I’ve found the recipe on the book, The Food Lab incredibly easy to follow. If you have a sudden urge to carbo-load, i highly recommend Cacio y Pepe, you’ll surely love it, maybe it will be one that you’d come back to, like the city where it comes from, it never disappoints, always familiar yet never ceases to surprise. Bona petito!
FilipiNew 