The Art of Cacio E Pepe: A Journey of Discovery

As we embark on this culinary adventure, we find ourselves in the company of an unlikely duo - Chef Brad and his trusty sidekick, Luciano Monosilio. Their quest to perfect the classic Italian dish, Cacio E Pepe, is one that will leave even the most seasoned chefs speechless. In this article, we'll delve into the world of this beloved pasta recipe and explore the secrets behind its creamy, cheesy goodness.

The Origins of a Dish

Cacio E Pepe, which translates to "cheese and pepper," has been a staple of Italian cuisine for centuries. The dish's simplicity is both a blessing and a curse - it's easy to botch, but also incredibly rewarding when executed correctly. Our journey begins with the basics: pasta, cheese, and pepper. It's a straightforward combination that belies the complexity of flavors that can be achieved.

The Fat Factor

But there's a crucial element that sets Cacio E Pepe apart from other pasta recipes - fat. Yes, you read that right - fat is the unsung hero of this dish. Not only does it add richness and depth to the sauce, but it also makes cooking easier. By melting together a generous amount of fat, Parmesan cheese, and Pecorino Romano, we create a creamy, velvety sauce that coats every bite of pasta.

A New Approach

In this article, we'll explore two different approaches to making Cacio E Pepe. First, we'll follow the traditional method, which involves melting butter and Pecorino Romano in a pan, then adding cooked pasta and tossing everything together with some grated Parmesan cheese. But that's not all - our friend Luciano Monosilio has a game-changing twist that takes this classic recipe to new heights.

Luciano's Secret Sauce

Chef Monosilio pre-emulsifies the sauce in a blender before cooking it, which creates a silky, smooth consistency that defies explanation. It's like he's saying, "You can't mess this up!" And indeed, we did. We added way too much water to the sauce and were about to throw the whole thing away. But Chef Monosilio intervened just in time, and his magic trick became clear: a sauce that's both creamy and stable.

A Masterclass in Emulsification

The key to Luciano's success lies in his mastery of emulsification - the art of combining two or more liquids that wouldn't normally mix, like oil and water. By blending the cheese with pasta cooking water, he creates a uniform consistency that's both beautiful and delicious. It's a technique that requires patience, persistence, and a deep understanding of the sauce.

The Result is Stunning

And what do we get for our troubles? A Cacio E Pepe that's nothing short of breathtaking. The sauce is glossy, the cheese is melted to perfection, and every bite is infused with a rich, creamy flavor that will leave you weak in the knees. It's a dish that's both familiar and new, comforting and exciting.

The Verdict

Cacio E Pepe is one of those rare recipes that transcends its ingredients - it's more than just pasta and cheese; it's an experience. And with Luciano Monosilio's expert guidance, we can unlock the secrets behind this beloved dish and create something truly special in our own kitchens. So go ahead, give Cacio E Pepe a try, and discover why it's one of Italy's most treasured recipes.

As we conclude our journey into the world of Cacio E Pepe, we're left with a sense of awe and gratitude for the humble dish that has brought us so much joy. It may seem simple on the surface, but beneath lies a complex web of flavors and techniques that will continue to inspire and delight chefs for generations to come.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey, guys.Welcome back to Botched by Babish.A show where I revisit mistakes of old,speak with experts,and take a feeble crack at redemption.And today I have a very expert expertjoining me from Italia Suicita.His name is Luciano Monosilio.He was one of theyoungest Italian Michelinstar chefs at the tenderage of twenty seven.His restaurant in Roma isLuciano Cucina Italiana,and he is also known for hisabsolutely savage take downof my Carbonara videoon Italian squisita .Luciano, thank you somuch for joining me today.I appreciate it.- Thank you. Me too.- So today I'm tryingto redeem my Cacio e Pepe,which probably not the worstof the Italian dishes that I'vedone on the channel,but definitely not quitewhere it needs to be to betraditional Italian,which as I understand,there is some flexibilityto the interpretation,but I'd love to hear exactlywhat is the traditional Italianinterpretation of Cacio e Pepe.- So in Italy, we have traditiononly the oral tradition.The recipe is changing.My grandma was makingCacio E Pepe in this wayand maybe another grandmawas making Cacio E Pepein other ways. In the beginning,was using only the Pecorino cheesein Roma and the areas close to Roma.- What are your thoughts onthe preparation of Cacio E Pepein the wheel of parmesan?- Ah, I think this is nice to see, no?Very good entertainment.- But just to be authentic toevery imaginable technique,I had to do something a little drastic;I had to go out and get this.- You're ready to go.- And it was $1,000. So I'mgoing to crack this open.- Expensive.- Yeah.- So you know, before makingpasta in the parmesan,you have to put some alcohol insideand then you have to start the fire.- Is it Brandy or what's the...- Whatever you want becausethe cheese is going to melt it.- Is it still Cacio EPepe if you use Brandy?- No, no, no, no, no.- So You would say thatbuying this was entirely unnecessary then.- This is better. Its better.- Okay (laughing)All right. Well, Hey,it'll be, it'll be cool.Luciano just so I have a referenceand a guide while I'm making this.Can you explain to me step-by-stepwhat I need to be doingto make your Cacio E Pepe?- I can send you the linkwhen I'm making Cacio E Pepe,and then you can seeeverything in the process.Its traditional flavor, butnot traditional technique.- I love it. That's theItalian way. I think.Well, I'm going to take a crackat the traditionaltechnique, your technique,the incorrect technique inthe, in the wheel cheese.Well Luciano, thank you somuch for joining us today.Thank you very much foryour words of wisdom.ItaliaSquisita their first cookbook,Original and Gourmet, is out.Now, check it out on Amazon.And most importantly,before I go out and spend athousand dollars on a wheel ofcheese call you first .(dramatic fast paced music)First things first. We have to, you know,I spend a thousand dollarson a wheel of cheese.If you see a show up inan episode of binging,it's because I need tofigure out a purpose for it.But regardless I figure it'sgoing to be hilarious to watchme try to crack open this wheel of cheese.So it's, let's see what happens.First, I have to get it over here.Oh, it's so greasy.It's okay, Kendall. I'm fine.It's okay. Kendall, Kendall.I'm fine. Kendall. Its heavy.Jesus.This guy has been hangingout for a bit unrefrigerated,which is fine,but ideally you're supposedto keep it refrigerated.Show me a fridge that thiswould fit in and I'll show youmy privates.(Classical music)- Come on daddy up. Okay.To enter the mind of the cheese wheel,we have to undergo a multi-stepprocess for which I watchedmany YouTube videos.What one must first do is scorethe outside of the rind in a circle.Oh my God. Oh.Okay. I'm very scared thatI'm gonna screwed it up.I'm gonna make people mad,and I'm going to waste athousand dollars worth of cheese.Boom. Okay.So now we must insertthese knives at intervals.Basically shove a knife in,shove a knife in right next to it,and keep going until iteffectively cracks the wheel open.Here we go. I feel like I'massassinating someone right nowlike at the end of gladiator, when he,when he has got the knife up againstJoaquin Phoenix's throat(choking noises)Just cheese guys. Just cheese.All right. This is back where I started.My knife is insertedand comes out with ease.It seems to be almost three on this side.Let me just get in hereand try to tweak it.And now the most magicalpart of a young Italians lifewhen they've turned 12,it's called a parm mitzvah.Wow. WoahThat is the funniest thing I'veever said in my entire life.Anyway.Enough tomfoolery.Oh, there she goes.Oh, look at, look at that.Look at this. Look at thecrystalline structure.Oh my God.(fast paced violin music)That's Parmesan cheese.All right.So we only need one ofthese for making the pasta.So I'm gonna throw theother one way obviously.Oh, you're filming me.I'm obviously not throwingit away. I was making,I was giving you a sound affect.It would have been really funny.Brad.(fast paced classical music)So its the same day and the same timeas the footage that you just watched.First up, we're goingto make a super simple,super traditional Cacio E Pepe,and it takes a whole lot of care.So if you overheat it, thecheese is going to break.If you under heat, it's not going to melt.And it's also going to turn into a blockof immovable pasta in about30 seconds after you serve it.So you want to serve it in a warm bowl.So we keep the sauce fromcoagulating for as long aspossible. I think I justslobbered all over the cheese.That's where the mold camefrom. All right. So. Hey.- Wait, the cheese is moldy?I haven't included that in the edit.- Oh no.The size of the colonies on this thing,we're not putting this in Brad.This is just for you to enjoy it.Cause people will be too mad at me.If I allowed this to happen, which I did.- They'll understand.You got to engaged Andrew.I mean you didn't!(screaming)- It's not good.- What do you mean it's not good.- The mold situation.- Yeah, I know. I'm anidea. I have an idea.I have an idea.You're not supposed to finishCacio E Pepe in these anyway.Swear to God.Oh, I just ruined a thousanddollars worth of cheese.- No, we scrapeit. I wanna pet it.(phone ringing)- Don't pet it.- I wouldn't recommend that.- Who is this? Who's calling me?Where's my phone? What's happening?All right. Did you pet it?- No, I didn't. I blew it in the wind.- Eww.Okay. Well, all right.So here's my thinking for the actual edit.I hate that you're recordingthis and still putting effortinto the cinematography,which indicates to me that it'sgoing to end up in the edit.- It is.- All right. Well, at leastit's not like, I don't know.I can't put a positive spin on this.- At least someone painstakinglymade that cheese over thecourse of years in Italy.- Brad, I hate you more than I hate mostanybody. Who are you?Hello?-So your car is done.You can pick up whenever you're ready.$2,812.84. $622.50and then you have a one thousanddollar deductible as well.So you will owe three amountswhen you come pick up,when you come pick up the car.(fast paced music)- So we have here somePecorino Romano cheese.Now this is the only cheesethat goes into traditionalCacio E Pepe because Cacioliterally translates intoPecorino Romano cheesein a certain dialect.Pretty interesting fact, if you asked me,this is going in for 10 minutes,five, six ounces of cheese,we're going to make a pasteout of it by mixing it a littlebit of cold water.That's the beauty ofhow simple this dish is.It's only taken us an hour toget started, and we're alreadyalmost done with thefirst iteration of three.To ensure our sauce doesnot coagulate too soon,I'm going to grab some ofthis here, pasta water,and I'm going to put it intoour intended serving bowl.It's going to keep it nice and hot.It's going to keep help,keep our sauce looser longer.To see when your pasta is done,there's a really great trick.You just grab a strandlike this, and you wind upand eat it.And you see if it's done.You don't throw it against a wall.What's that telling you?Is your pasta sticky?Is it if it sticks it's done or if it,or if it doesn't stick, it's done?- I think it'sif it sticks, it's done.- I think that's utter nonsense.- If it explodes, it's a Molotov.- Have you ever done it?- Brad, that doesn't make any sense.So straight out of here.And I'm just going toturn this on very low.Again, do not want to break the cheeseand then a quarter cup ofthis pasta cooking water.And this guy is gettingall tossed together.So you can see it's kind of watery saucedown there on the bottom,and that is going to set right up.And then if you can doit, I recommend tossing.That's getting everywhere. Okay.My plan is coming apart.You know, I don't think this is working.I got a lot of separated cheese,not emsulsifying the sauce.What the devil have I done wrong?I've made Cacio E Pepe a million times.I've never seen this happen.I really spl... I really splashed it.I didn't sploosh it.That's disgusting Brad.Let's try that again.( fast paced music)So the was an abject failure,and I think it happenedfor a couple of reasons.First off, I think I putthe cheese inside the pan,and I think that that exposedit too much heat too quickly,and it stuck to the bottom of the panand just ended up meltingand didn't emulsify.So I'm going to heat thepan just a little bit.I still think that that'sthe right thing to do becausethat way the pasta doesn'tcool off too quick,but I'm going to put the cheese over top.(suspenseful classical music)Oh my god. The same thing is happening.Is this cheese for some reasonbut that's the onlything I can think that.Look at that.- Yeah.- I've never seen this.- This is theworst than last time.- Oh my god!Look at this nonsense.I've never seen Percorino do this.This one looks different.It's a different color.- This on has the label on it,and the rind looks different.- This is definitely froma different manufacturer.Let's try it with another cheese.I don't trust this cheeseas far as I can throw it.(fast paced music)Here goes attempt number three.I'm not going to blame it on myself.I am, but I think it was the cheese.I genuinely think it was the cheese.( suspenseful music)What is happening? What am I doing wrong?Holy.- That is whatI do when I make it,but also I don't use Percorino.- Look at this.Can Pecorino do that?It looks like mozzarella.What's happening?Where am I? Who are you people?(fast paced music)My theory right now afterdoing a little bit of Googlingis either that we have crappy cheese,which I don't think is the case.It seems to be okay or I'mapplying too much heat,which seems crazy to me becausewhen you watch Jay KenjiLopez all make this stuff,it's like blasting hot like he cooks it.But now what we're going to dois try emulsifying the saucein a pan with zero heat.This is not hot.You think this is fake Pecorino,or are you thinking pecorino in general.All right. Well,can we get you on record sayingthat for all the Italiansthat are going to dismantle you?- I love pecorino.I always said how much I love Pecorino.I don't know what anyoneelse is talking about.(upbeat music)- I can't quite tell, butI think it might be doingthe same thing again.Look at that. It's doing it again.- There's no heat on thispan. I think this cheese.- I think I know why.- Why?- Most thingsare fat and water emulsion.But I think cheese is awater in fat emulsion,just like butter is.So I think there wasn'tenough fat, you know, when,when like a ganache orsomething separates,you need to add more waterbecause it's fat and wateremulsion I that this is the opposite.That might speak to the factthat it might not be good quality cheese.- Oh so it's the cheese. Okay.- So Kendall are yousaying it's not Andrew's fault.- No, it couldnever be Andrew's fault.( fast paced music)- There's no way that highquality Pecorino Romano.So one thing we do have inspades is high quality Parmesan.So we're going to use that instead,and look at that. Look at that.It's already. Yep.That's the stuff. That'swhat I like to see.Maybe not.- Is this sticking tothe bottom of the pan?Am I losing my mind? Okay,so it's not the cheese.Something's wrong with me as a person.There's no heat on thispan. What's happening?I been botched.I been botched.I am a botched man now,and there is no escape from being botchedwhen one has been botched.I'm botched.All right, let's try the bowl.I have no other solutionother than let's try the bowl.I have no idea what else to do.I might as well eat mymistakes. Am I right?What a way to celebrate.( fast paced music)There it is folks.The Pecorino Romano.The absolute bane ofmy god damn existence,what am I trying to do is do it in a bowl.I'm going to do it ina bowl. This is a bowl.I'm going to do it in here.I'm thinking that maybethe heat is the problem.Hope I think and I'm justhoping that that really does it.Cause I'm really tired of doing this.I'm going to get me a trivet,preferably one with my face on itIs this weird? I think it is.Hey, what's up guys.Welcome back to bingingwith Babish with this week.(hopeful classical music)Floppity, flippity, floppity, poppityCome on, come on guys.I can't do it again. I can't do it again.I don't want to.I don't want to. Oh is it working?Seriously.I'm running out of will tomove or live even. Come on.I really don't haveanother one of these in me.I can't do it.My spirit dude, it's working,it's working, it's working.It's working.We might have a functionalCacio E Pepe here.As long as you guysdon't stop holding handsfor even one moment.I think we got it. I think we got it.It only took five tries andhas officially been one of themost difficult and unpleasantexperiences in my life.I'm kidding. That's not true.I think this is a moments worthy ofJohn Fabrice's carving fork.Well, maybe not actually.- Where has it gone?- I don't know. Kendall lostJohn Fabrice's carving fork.It's official.It's okay. I'm alreadyserving it. It's fine.Here we go. Here we go. Here we go.It's okay guys. It's working.It's okay. It's okay.Here we go. And we got Cacio E Pepemade the traditional stupid way.Easily one of thehardest things I've made.because you've got tonail the temperature.I'm going eat it now,enough talking about it.Let's eat it.( fork drops) (music abruptly stops)It's not even that good.This is so harsh. The cheese is harsh.The Pepper's harsh.It sucks. I'm kidding.It's good.I do think the additionof fat is necessarybecause it's just, it is very harsh.You're on camera.( fast paced music)- So you might know that I look differentand that's because lastnight was so disheartening.I had to go to sleep.We're going to make thisnext batch of Cacio E Pepevirtually the same way,but we're going to makeit a whole lot easier.How? We're going to usea whole bunch of fat.The addition of fat not only tastes good,I t's going to make ourlives a whole lot easier.Follow me. Won't you?Before the pasta is done,we're going to melt togetherThe fat, the booter, a levorum.Oh my god!All right, we are making Cacio E Pepe.Yeah, that's what I wanted.Just a little sizzle.Let's toss this around.Make sure everybody's well coated in fat.pasta water in there. Pecorino Romano.Doing half PecorinoRomano and half Parmesanand a whole lot of pepe.Get the heat all the waydown. There we go folks.Form a nice sauce. Asyou can see first try,it's already doing a lotbetter than the last timeThat's looking nice. Okay. You know what?I take back every bad thingI've ever said about your Brad.- Thank you.- Not have said manybad things. A nice man.Let's put it in a bowl.A little bit of freshlygrated Pecorino Romano.There we go.That is a successful bowl of Cacio E Pepe,and now I'm going toprove it by eating it.Oh god.There it is.There it is. There's the Cacio E Pepe.It's super creamy. Thesauce is nice and glossy,and it's stuck to everybite of delicious spoo gets.All right. So now let's see whatLuciano Monosilio's method does.He pre emulsifies the sauce in a blender.So it should be in theory, foolproof.That's Italian for theory.- It attracts.- Your mics a little goofy.- Your mics a little goofy.- That's my joke. I invented that joke.All right. We've got our pasta boiling.It only has a few minutes left,so this is the time that we make sounds.We're going to use the scale of make thismeasuring out one cup of ourfinest pasta cooking water,2.5 ounces of Pecorino.This was a miscalculation.I should've pre graded this for sure.Damn. Yeah. Damn. (screaming)- I thought, I thoughtyou just cut your face.- No!Cheese everywhere. Wait, wait, wait.Grabbed me our shredded Parmesan.I could blend that. The chunks.Give me the chunks. Give me the chunks.All right. We got it.We got it. We got it.Zambonis in.- I think it'smore like curling ya know?- No.Okay. Just got to turn it on.I'm kidding.- It's unstable.- You're unstable.- You're not wrong.- You're right there. We're good.- I'm stable. I am. I am.- Let's emulsify.It's very thin, more cheese.This pasta gotta beway over cooked by now.I'm going forward.Oh, look at that.Look at that.You could tell me thatthat was a cream sauce,and I would defend you with my life,your right to say it,Look at that, it didn't break.we boiled that, and it didn't break.That is great. Luciano Monosilioknows exactly what he's doingcause that is brilliant.Even though we, I added waytoo much water to the sauce.It did not break when we cookedit for a solid three minutesat a boil. Oh, look at thatsauce. Luciano Monosilio.Everyone in America is goingto know your name by heartbecause you have perfectedthe act of Cacio E Pepe.Little extra grading ontop. Surely I think so.Scoot, scoot.That is perfect. CacioE Pepe creamy, cheesynot a hint of melted cheeseat the bottom of the panand quite foolproof. We put way too muchwater in that sauce, andit's still cooked downto a perfect consistency.No wonder this guy got a Michelin star.Oh, look at that.Look at how glossy that is.That's unbelievable.Like that is the best Cacio E PepeI've ever had by a country mile.Chef Monosilio, my hatis literally off to youbecause this is great.It's better than any CacioE Pepe I've ever had.It is easier to make than anyCacio E Pepe that I've madeover the past 36 hours.Thank you so much for helpingme unbotch my botchedness.Somebody came up with agreat catch phrase for botch.- You stupid botch.- Bradley.(soft classical music)\n"