This is not a traditional cacio e pepe, but the three peppers and hint of garlic make for a nice spicy twist on a Roman classic. If your sauce splits, it’ll still taste delicious so have a glass of wine and plan to have another go next week.
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
250 grams dried thick spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
80 grams pecorino, finely grated
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
To serve
finely grated pecorino
cracked black pepper
cayenne pepper (optional)
METHOD
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over a high heat. Add the dried spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than packet instructions, until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a low heat. Add the black pepper, white pepper and garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Once the pasta is cooked, remove the saucepan from heat. Use tongs to remove the pasta from the water, and add to the sauté pan with the pepper mixture with 6 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Stir to combine then leave to sit for 1 minute to cool slightly. It is important to leave the pasta to cool at this point as if it is too hot, the cheese will split.
Sprinkle the pecorino and cayenne pepper over the spaghetti. Use a large wooden spoon to swiftly swirl the pasta, cheese and cooking water together until a silky sauce forms. You may need to add another tablespoon of cooking water to loosen.
Serve immediately into warm bowls – warm bowls prevent cheese clumps forming – and sprinkle with more pecorino, a grind of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper for an extra kick, if desired.
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127
In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.







