The Pasta Queen's Cacio e Pepe

Method

1. Fill a large pot halfway with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, in a medium bowl, combine the Pecorino Romano and 240 millilitres water and stir passionately, adding more water a little at a time as needed to make a luscious cream.

3. In a large frying pan, heat the ground pepper over low heat, swirling to lightly toast it and bring out its gorgeous aromas, about 30 seconds. Add a splash of water and swirl to infuse it with the pepper’s spicy and smoky aromatics. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, season lightly with salt. Drop in the tonnarelli and cook until the pasta is tender, two to two-and-a-half minutes.

5. Transfer the pasta directly to the pan with the pepper. Pour in the Pecorino Romano sauce and toss vigorously until the pasta is drenched in peppery sauce and the sauce is silky and smooth. Add the tears of the gods [the pasta water] a spoonful at a time if the sauce is clumpy and stir passionately until smooth.

6. Serve drizzled with any remaining sauce in the pan and garnish with a scrunch of pepper.
   
   The Pasta Queen: A Just Gorgeous Authentic Italian Cookbook by Nadia Caterina Munno, with Katie Parla, is published by HarperCollins, priced £22. Photography by Giovanna Di Lisciandro. Available now.