Cacio E Pepe (Spaghetti with Black Pepper and Pecorino Romano)

Retired and spend quality creative time in the kitchen. We stick to chicken, turkey, seafood and vegetarian dishes. My biggest vice would be dark chocolate! Favourite food - Mud Crab; Favourite fruit - Mango; Favourite vegetable - sugar snap peas. Bon Appetit from Down Under

Using toasted and fresh black pepper doubles up on flavor, giving the dish more complexity.
Grating the cheese very finely on a Microplane instead of shredding it helps it incorporate more smoothly.
Finishing the pasta and cheese in a separate skillet ensures that the cheese doesn't clump up from the residual heat in the pasta pan.
Cooking the pasta in a skillet instead of a pot helps concentrate the starch in the water, making the sauce smoother.
Cals - 317

4 tablespoons (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

½ pound (225g) spaghetti

2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1 cup; 55g), very finely grated on a Microplane or the smallest holes of a box grater, plus more for serving

Directions at seriouseats.com

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