Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

I wanted a tasty side dish to serve with the eggplant I was making for dinner, so I made this spaghetti with pecorino romano and black pepper from America’s Test Kitchen. The key to this pasta is cooking it in a certain amount of water to ensure it’s extra starchy. You then mix the starchy water with the Pecorino Romano and a bit of heavy cream, which helps emulsify the mixture so it doesn’t become lumpy when the pasta is added. I also liked that they had me drain the pasta over the serving bowl, which heated the bowl. This spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper was a big hit with the entire family, especially my kids, who both had second servings and thought it paired nicely with eggplant parmesan, a loaded Caesar salad, and some crusty bread.

Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Pecorino Romano grated fine, plus more for serving
• ½ lb spaghetti
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

How to Make Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

Place the finely grated Pecorino Romano in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Set a colander in a large serving bowl.

Bring two quarts (8 cups) of water to a boil in a large pot; season well with sea salt.

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, according to the package instructions.

Drain the pasta into the colander set in the bowl, reserving the cooking water in the bowl.

Pour ¾ of the cooking water into a liquid measuring cup, discard the remaining water, and place the pasta in the now-empty bowl.

Slowly whisk ½ cup of the reserved pasta water into the finely grated Pecorino Romano until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream, olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Gradually pour the cheese mixture over the pasta, tossing to coat evenly.

Let the pasta rest for a few minutes, tossing frequently, adjusting the consistency with the remaining ¼ cup of reserved pasta water as needed.

Serve with additional cheese. Enjoy!