Ingredients
1 lb/455 g pasta like spaghetti, bucatini, or linguini
¼ cup/60 g unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper like Tellicherry, Malabar, Vietnamese, or Sarawak plus extra for garnish
5 oz [140 g] finely grated Pecorino Romano plus extra for garnish
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Reserve the pasta cooking water.
- Prepare the cheese sauce for the pasta. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once the butter starts to sizzle, add the black pepper and swirl until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour the warm butter mixture into a blender. Add the Pecorino Romano, olive oil, and 3/4 cup/180 ml hot pasta water. Blend until smooth and emulsified. Add and blend in 1 to 2 Tbsp of the pasta water if it is too thick. The sauce should be creamy and thick; if you want it thinner, add 1 to 2 Tbsp of hot pasta water. Pour the sauce over the pasta and fold to coat well. Serve immediately and garnish with additional grated Pecorino Romano and other ground black pepper if desired.
Notes
- Avoid oversalting the pasta cooking water. The pecorino romano contains salt too.
- The success of this sauce’s creaminess depends on using high-speed to blend all the ingredients together to create an emulsion. A high-speed blender will accomplish this with ease.
