The world's largest kitchen
Select Language
English
Русский
Español
日本語
Italiano
Language Preferences
Sign Up Now
Members Login
Home
Recipes
Chefs
Themes & Guides
Groups
My Pages
Menu Planner
Shopping List
Recipe box
Add Recipe
03.20.11: dinner (tonnarelli cacio e pepe and Roman-style roasted chicken)
by
Elizabeth Schreiter
Current rating: 4.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
click to rate
1 vote
| 309 views
0 reviews
|
0 comments
Pin It
Add to Menu Planner
Go to Menu Planner
Add the recipe to which day?
«
Today - Apr 25
»
Today - Apr 25
F
S
Su
M
T
W
Th
Apr 26 - May 02
F
S
Su
M
T
W
Th
May 3 - 9
F
S
Su
M
T
W
Th
May 10 - 16
F
S
Su
M
T
W
Th
Please select a day
or
Cancel
Adding to Planner
Add to Shopping List
Add to Recipe Box
Print Recipe
Recipe
Reviews/Comments
Close this frame
Adding to Planner
Adding to Planner
%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETonnarelli%20Cacio%20e%20Pepe%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGuilt%20can%20be%20a%20powerful%20thing%E2%80%93and%20as%20with%20all%20things%20powerful,%20it%20must%20be%20used%20in%20responsible%20ways.%20Michael%20is%20headed%20for%20a%20conference%20this%20coming%20weekend,%20leaving%20me%20to%20fend%20for%20myself%20for%20six%20days.*%20Naturally%20we%E2%80%99ve%20had%20periods%20of%20separation%20before%E2%80%93usually%20because%20I%E2%80%99m%20the%20one%20traveling%20for%20work%E2%80%93but%20this%20will%20be%20the%20longest%20period%20we%E2%80%99ve%20had%20to%20deal%20with%20since%20I%20moved%20to%20Connecticut%20five%20years%20ago.%20I%20know%20Michael%20feels%20bad%20about%20leaving%20me%20to%20have%20to%20cook%20for%20myself%20for%20a%20whole%20work%20week%20because%20not%20only%20did%20we%20have%20pasta%20on%20Sunday%20night,%20he%20was%20the%20one%20suggesting%20to%20make%20it%20and%20he%20acquiesced%20to%20my%20request%20for%20cacio%20e%20pepe%20without%20much%20protest.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20other%20words,%20he%20brooked%20no%20opposition%20to%20us%20having%20a%20dish%20that%20is,%20in%20essentials,%20pasta%20and%20cheese.%20Yep,%20that%E2%80%99s%20guilt.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERoman%20Roasted%20Chicken%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOf%20course,%20Michael%20also%20got%20his%20roasted%20chicken%20fix,%20because%20this%20was%20really%20about%20indulging%20each%20other%20on%20our%20last%20leisurely%20weekend%20supper%20for%20a%20while,%20and%20nothing%20says%20indulgence%20to%20him%20like%20a%20roasted%20chicken.%20While%20steak%20is%20his%20favorite%20splurge,%20the%20comparative%20healthfulness%20of%20a%20kosher%20chicken%20and%20the%20seemingly%20limitless%20ways%20to%20roast%20it%20means%20it%20appears%20on%20our%20table%20much%20more%20often.%20Some%20white%20wine,%20rosemary,%20olive%20oil%20and%20lemon%20made%20the%20marinade%20that%20it%20sat%20in%20for%20a%20few%20hours,%20and%20then%20some%20time%20in%20the%20oven%20rendered%20it%20juicy%20and%20delicious.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20even%20Michael%20admitted%20that%20the%20star%20of%20the%20night%20was%20the%20pasta.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20had%20seen%20in%20our%20copy%20of%20Rome%20that%20cacio%20e%20pepe%20could%20be%20made%20with%20fresh%20pasta,%20and%20from%20the%20second%20I%20saw%20the%20recipe%20it%20haunted%20me%E2%80%93I%20wanted%20to%20make%20that%20pasta%20so%20much,%20but%20Michael%20thought%20that%20there%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20much%20to%20a%20dish%20that%20consisted%20of%20pasta%20and%20cheese%20to%20justify%20the%20time%20to%20make%20fresh%20pasta;%20after%20all,%20we%E2%80%99ve%20made%20it%20in%20the%20past%20with%20dried%20and%20it%20was%20tasty.%20But%20something%20about%20the%20usage%20of%20fresh%20pasta%20intrigued%20me%20to%20no%20end,%20so%20I%20kept%20quiet%20and%20when%20the%20time%20was%20right,%20I%20managed%20to%20hold%20my%20point.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFresh%20pasta%20drying%20on%20the%20table.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20totally%20worth%20the%20effort.%20Unlike%20some%20other%20scratch%20dinners%20we%E2%80%99ve%20had%20over%20the%20past%20few%20weekends%20(that%20we%E2%80%99ll%20chronicle%20here,%20I%20promise%E2%80%93it%E2%80%99s%20just%20that%20the%20battle%20scars%20have%20yet%20to%20heal)%20this%20was%20relatively%20painless%20to%20make;%20with%20so%20few%20other%20ingredients%20in%20play,%20the%20focus%20could%20rest%20on%20the%20fresh%20pasta.%20Often%20Michael%20will%20prefer%20to%20run%20his%20knife%20through%20rolled%20pasta%20to%20make%20wide%20noodles,%20but%20this%20called%20for%20thin%20noodles%20(and%20while%20I%20don%E2%80%99t%20know%20if%20our%20noodles%20technically%20count%20as%20tonnarelli,%20but%20they%20are%20close%20enough,%20I%20guess)%20and%20so%20a%20pass%20through%20the%20thin%20cutter%20rollers%20was%20in%20order.%20Letting%20the%20sheets%20dry%20a%20bit%20(we%20use%20one%20of%20our%20drying%20racks)%20helps%20the%20pasta%20to%20cut%20easier%20and%20to%20not%20clump%20up%20on%20the%20table%20afterward,%20as%20shown%20above.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20other%20key%20to%20this%20dish%20is%20treating%20it%20not%20as%20pasta%20with%20cheese,%20but%20pasta%20with%20a%20cheese%20sauce.%20Getting%20a%20pecorino%20or%20rustico%20cheese%20studded%20with%20peppercorns%20is%20a%20great%20start%20(it%20will%20save%20you%20from%20having%20to%20grind%20a%20lot%20of%20your%20own%20later%20on),%20but%20it%E2%80%99s%20also%20important%20to%20secure%20at%20least%201%201/2%20cups%20of%20pasta%20water%20to%20help%20with%20the%20sauce-making%20process.%20It%20helps%20the%20cheese%20melt%20into%20something%20other%20than%20pasta%20and%20actually%20turn%20into%20a%20creamy%20substance.%20You%20add%20a%20little%20water,%20then%20you%20add%20the%20cheese%20and%20some%20pepper%20and%20you%20stir,%20and%20then%20you%20add%20a%20little%20more%20cheese%20and%20pepper,%20a%20little%20more%20water,%20this%20and%20that%20until%20you%E2%80%99re%20out%20of%20cheese%20and%20hopefully%20not%20out%20of%20water.%20And%20while%20this%20photo%20downplays%20the%20presence%20of%20pepper%20in%20the%20dish;%20trust%20me%20when%20I%20say%20that%20you%20taste%20it.%20And%20it%20is%20glorious.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETonnarelli%20Cacio%20e%20Pepe%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Eadapted%20from%20Rome%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3Eserves%204%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20using%20homemade%20pasta%20dough,%20run%20pieces%20of%20it%20through%20the%20rollers%20to%20the%20highest%20setting,%20then%20let%20sheets%20dry%20on%20a%20drying%20rack%20or%20similar%20for%20about%2010-15%20minutes%20before%20cutting%20it%20with%20a%20pasta%20machine%20on%20the%20thin%20setting.%20Let%20pasta%20dry%20a%20little%20more%20on%20a%20table%20while%20you%20grate%20the%20cheese%20and%20bring%20a%20large%20pot%20of%20water%20to%20boil.%20Add%20a%20generous%20amount%20of%20kosher%20salt%20to%20the%20boiling%20water.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdd%20pasta%20into%20the%20pot%20and%20let%20it%20cook%20until%20it%20floats,%20about%202-3%20minutes.%20Be%20sure%20to%20reserve%20at%20least%201%201/2%20cups%20of%20the%20cooking%20water%20to%20help%20blend%20the%20cheese%20and%20the%20pasta.%20Drain%20the%20pasta,%20place%20it%20back%20into%20the%20pot,%20and%20start%20adding%20the%20cheese:%20first%20add%20a%20generous%20splash%20of%20pasta%20water,%20then%20add%20some%20cheese%20and%20pepper%20and%20stir%20well%20to%20coat.%20Keep%20adding%20cheese%20and%20pepper%20to%20the%20pasta%20and%20stir%20well,%20adding%20pasta%20water%20as%20needed%20to%20the%20pot%20until%20it%20is%20all%20fully%20incorporated.%20When%20ready,%20add%20to%20individual%20bowls%20and%20serve%20immediately.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E*Stay%20tuned%20next%20week%20for%20what%20I%20manage%20to%20make%20when%20I%20get%20home%20from%20work%20at%207PM%20each%20night.%20If%20you%20have%20any%20great%20make-ahead%20meals%20that%20you%20think%20I%20should%20try,%20please%20leave%20them%20for%20me%20in%20the%20comments.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}