Cacio e Pepe Pasta

 Serves 4                                                                      Difficulty Rating: Easy

 Ingredients:

·       5 quart pot of boiling water  (big enough to hold pasta without breaking it)

·       1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus salt to be used later

·       1 pound pasta (spaghetti, linguini, gemelli, bucatini, bavette)

·       ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
·       Some Cannellini beans, well rinsed (this is my addition, I need the protien and I like this)
·       2 Tablespoons butter

·       Good quality freshly ground black pepper (I use Penzy’s India Special Extra Bold peppercorns)

·       ¾ cup freshly grated Cacio de Roma or Pecorino Romano or Gran Padano cheese

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil and add 2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Add pasta and cook following the package directions – al dente, that is, firm ‘to the teeth’

While boiling the pasta, heat the oil in a large sauté pan until very hot.

When it's hot, add some freshly ground pepper to toast it
If you decide to add the Cannellini beans as I often do because I need the protien (and it's delicous) I add them here and toss them around with the pepper - this is not part of the standard recipe.

When the pasta is al dente (still firm "to the teeth"), drain, keeping some of the pasta water aside

Add pasta and butter to the sauté pan – toss over medium high heat.

Add cheese and pepper, and salt if necessary and toss. If it’s too dry, add reserved cooking liquid ¼ cup at a time until you get the desired moisture level (not too much, moist, not swimming).

Toss and serve immediately.

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Chick Peas

Ingredients:                                                    Difficulty Rating: Easy

1 head of broccoli

1 lb orecchiette (little ears pasta)

6 cloves of garlic

6 anchovy fillets

1 can chick peas, well rinsed

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Percorino Romano

Some pasta water

Fill 2 large pots ¾ of the way with water and bring to a boil.

While the water is heating, cut the stems off the broccoli.  Peel the skin off the stems, cut into evenly sized bite-sized pieces.

Cut the broccoli flowerets into evenly sized pieces. 

When the water is boiling in 1 pot, add the broccoli and 1 teaspoon of salt.

In the 2nd pot, add the Orecchiette

Bring both back to a boil, then lower heat keeping the broccoli at simmer and the pasta at a low boil.

Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan, and turn flame on medium

Add the garlic and sauté until garlic is clear, but not burned.

Then add the anchovies and stir around.  The anchovies will disintegrate in the hot oil.

Add the chick peas and toss

The pasta should be cooked al dente, very al dente. Keep in mind that it will cook again in the frying pan, and you never want mushy pasta. 

Keep the pasta water aside, and add the pasta to the sauté pan and toss it. Put the flame on high for a little while to try to crisp the little ears (it's worth it) then add ½ cup of pasta water and lower the flame.

When broccoli is tender enough for a fork to go through, and its still al dente, remove about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the rest of the water from the broccoli and add it to the sauté pan and toss it.

Grind the pepper over the pasta, add the cheese and toss again.

Bring the sauté pan to the table to serve, or pour the pasta into a serving plate or bowl. But remember, the this pasta dish is always better the 2nd day.

Mangia!