Spring is a time to be spent outdoors, fussing in the garden, checking on the hydrangeas, lolling in the Adirondack chair and considering what cool and delightful cocktail to have before dinner. (Are we allowed to have Pimm’s Cup this early in the season?)
Dinner prep should be simple, painless, delicious and beautiful. With the abundance of seasonal veggies it is a sin and a shame not to avail ourselves of nature’s bounty (or the green market’s). It is easy to have a tasty pasta meal which does not require a shopping cart of ingredients. Here are some choices: peas, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, shrimp, red or green peppers, onion, fennel or leeks. Hold out on the zucchini – there will be plenty of time for that later this summer.
The illustration is one of our favorite meals: penne pasta, garlic, cheese, bacon and peas. The highly trained and precise folks at Cook’s Illustrated narrow it down even more – to just three ingredients. Sometimes that’s about all we have in the kitchen – pasta, cheese and black pepper. This week I have actually planned ahead (what a novelty!), and as soon as I finish typing this I am headed out to the back porch with a colander and a bowl full of fresh young pea pods. I am going to have that Pimm’s Cup while shelling the peas, watching the birds fly home and listening to the children squabble next door. It’s spring, and the doors are flung open and the curtains float languidly in the afternoon breeze.
Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper (Cacio e Pepe)
Published January 1, 2010. From Cook’s Illustrated.
Why this recipe works:
For cheesy cacio e pepe recipe that was also creamy and smooth, we swapped butter for heavy cream, whose lipoproteins encouraged the protein and fat molecules in the sauce to bond rather than separate.
Serves 4 to 6
High-quality ingredients are essential in this dish, most importantly, imported Pecorino Romano—not the bland domestic cheese labeled “Romano.” Use the small holes on a box grater to grate the cheese finely and the large holes to grate it coarsely. Alternatively, a food processor may be used to grate it finely: Cut the Pecorino into 2-inch pieces and process until finely ground, about 45 seconds. For a slightly less rich dish, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream. Do not adjust the amount of water for cooking the pasta. Stir the pasta frequently while cooking so that it doesn’t stick to the pot. Letting the dish rest briefly before serving allows the flavors to develop and the sauce to thicken.
Ingredients
• 6 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese , 4 ounces finely grated (about 2 cups) and 2 ounces coarsely grated (about 1 cup) (see note)
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Table salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (see note)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Place finely grated Pecorino in medium bowl. Set colander in large bowl.
2. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt; cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Drain pasta into colander set in bowl, reserving cooking water. Pour 1½ cups cooking water into liquid measuring cup and discard remainder; return pasta to now-empty bowl.
3. Slowly whisk 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water into finely grated Pecorino until smooth. Whisk in cream, oil, and black pepper. Gradually pour cheese mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Let pasta rest 1 to 2 minutes, tossing frequently, adjusting consistency with remaining ½ cup reserved pasta water. Serve, passing coarsely grated Pecorino separately.
https://food52.com/blog/3220_al_fornos_penne_with_tomato_cream_five_cheeses
“It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. ”
— A. Bartlett Giamatti
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