I didn't have a problem making it but I didn't think it was a life changing as everyone said it was going to be. I'll try again with a better cheese on Eva's advice.
È uno dei piatti più semplice al mondo, ma è anche uno dei piatti che difficilmente riesce come deve. Nella maggior parte dei casi il formaggio diventa grumi e non fa la classica cremina. Per quanto riguarda la scelta del Pecorino, questo si può fare in Italia, ma all’estero come nel mio caso (io vivo qui in Germania) è già una grande cosa se io trovo UN tipo di pecorino, non ho scelta tra vari tipi di pecorino.
I've made it several time but I have to say I am not a big fan. Its simple and quick but not my first choice for a pasta dish. I will have to try it again while I am in Italy to see if the better cheese makes a difference.
@@LarryStrawson If you eat a "Cacio e Pepe" (one of the four most famous Roman dishes) in Rome done right, you will see that it can become one of your favorite Italian dishes. It is one of the most delicious Italian dishes! Unfortunately, the problem (and I say this as an Italian) is that this dish is sometimes "hated" because it doesn't come out the way it's supposed to come out. And so when a dish doesn't come out as it should, people try to "hate" it. When the dish is ruined, it's not that you really "fall in love" with that dish. It is one of the simplest dishes in the world, but as usual, simple dishes are often the most difficult to make well.
Another “secret” tip I discovered (and that I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere online) is that the foamy part of the pasta water contains the most flour/starch. Always when you boil anything, the “impurities” (in this case, just the starch) rises to the top and gets collected in the bubbles. So if you grab pasta water with as much foam as you can, the starch in it will help with the emulsification.
I tried grinding up broken pieces of pasta with a coffee grinder (the cheap blade kind) to a powder, then adding them to the water before I put the pasta in. I don't know if it did anything, though.
I imported my Pecorino Romano straight from Italy, it was shipped ‘Overnight’ in a refrigerated package, and the pasta I used was spaghetti from la Molisana, and it still made a ball, Vincenzo! lol
Brava!!! I have been making Cadio e Pepe for years. The grandkids know it as Italian Mac & Cheese. I am happy to say I make it exactly the same way as Eva. My wife loves it. NO olive oil, Xantham gum, corn starch - OY. And yes using the proper grater and cheese is very important. Well done guys.
Just for giggles made this today (first time having Cacio e Pepe), following the instruction exactly and was extremely amazed just how transformed by how simple this disj really is and how elevated the taste was. For anyone that would think that "wow, that's a lot of pepper", by heating the pepper and infusing the sauce this way, just give the entire bite a unique flavor. For those that worry that the pasta will cool too much, the pepper takes care of that. The cheese melted perfectly and made such a creamy sauce. Aglio e Olio used to be my quick go-to, but changed with this dish. Thanks.
actually Ethan helped me with his analysis to realise few details. Like the temperature of the pasta water and not to put it straight from boiling to the cheese. That was making it melt. That nobody that was making the dish really communicated and its super important to the success of the dish.
These three different dishes have one thing in common: the right heat to get an emulsion of X and cheesy pasta water to keep the cheese from clumping: - cacio e pepe (cheese, and pasta water) - fettuccine al burro (butter, cheese, and pasta water) - spaghetti alla carbonara (guanciale fat, egg yolk, cheese, and pasta water) Eva is great with showing the technique and I love that all three just take patience, even if the ingredients (in the US) may not want to cooperate all the time. Thank you both!
I also think that pre-hredded cheese isn't usually as finely grated for what you need. Eva mentions this in the video. Use a microplane to get the right fineness.
@@MyFocusVariesand/or cellulose. As a general rule, I always say read the labels, and if there’s something on there that wasn’t in a jar in your grandmother’s kitchen (xanthan gum? cellulose? come on), you don’t want it on your plate.
Because everyone here mentions the store bought pre shredded cheese: This also goes for the good quality cheese that you buy and then shred to keep in a jar in the fridge for the next few pasta dishes (consider that most Italians will eat on avarage almost every day a pasta dish so the pre shredded cheese is going to be used up in a few days). I wouldn't use it for caccio e peppe because without the additives used in the store boughts ones it will clump a bit in cold and slightly humid 'climate' of the fridge. So it looses the cloud like consistency that you want for it to easily melt.
Note she used a (comparatively) small amount of water. The reason is that you want the starch from the pasta water as the emulsifying agent. So if you cook the pasta it in less water, you get more starch in each ladle.
@MaztheMeh16 So in my case I was taught how to make pasta by an Italian who told me to use lots of water, this gives the pasta room to boil and be stirred without sticking together. But over time I began overcompensating and trying to hard to use lots of water. So even though I was taught by an Italian I eventually needed a second course correction.
I've also had the clumping issue and, surprise surprise, I was adding all the cheese to the super hot pasta, thinking it needed to be super hot to melt the cheese... 🤦 I will be giving this method a try. Thanks so much Eva and Harper!
It's the same thing if you're making a cheese sauce with cheddar, you have to turn the heat completely off when you add cheddar to the sauce or else it really will split
I had been trying the cheese paste method from Vincenzo, never worked for me lol. This method looks like it will work perfectly. Edit: right after I posted this, I saw Harper mention that method 😅
Cacio E Pepe has become my daughter favourite dish, she love how simple it is and tasty. The way we have been getting rid of the clumps. has been putting the cheese into a bowl and as the pasta cooks, I add a small amount of pasta water at time and mix it well and at the end slowly adding into the pasta mixing and tossing. Works pretty well
Your wrap-up was spot-on: this IS the only Cacio e Pepe recipe you will need. And for Harper to do so well with his first try just shows that Eva is as good a teacher as she is an Italian cook. You explained everything so well and answered all of the "why's?" in your viewers' minds, that you left us all with the confidence that we could do it, too. And Harper then proved it. Thanks!
Te meriti la cittadinanza onoraria de Roma co 'sta cacio e pepe! Tanti non sanno che dopo averla "ripassata" in padella con il pepe deve riposare sennò, se ci metti il pecorino quando è troppo calda... fila come 'na sottiletta! Diversamente, si può preparare prima il condimento con il pepe ed il pecorino e l'acqua di cottura, poi si butta la pasta nella padella e si "manteca" a fuoco spento.
I love these 'reaction' type videos... It's good to see a critique of other peoples' styles (which are all valid in their own way)... and it gives a great context for the recipe or technique...
Literally, the best episode evah! Something that should be simple turns out to be... simple. Good quality ingredients and the knowledge to use them correctly.😉
Yes they realize, but many nowadays pasta is too "good" and do not give the starch out enough. Thats one reason people are now after the "trafilata al bronzo" pasta, as it has the "whiteish skin" which gives easily the starch out. And thats the reason in this video was talked about fresh pasta.
@@ThirdLawPair you need a liquifier, this can be hot fat or hot water... and the cheapest option simply is to use the pasta water which has both, starch and hot liquid...
Thank you! I've failed at making Cacio E Pepe multiple times and had giant clumps of cheese every time. I used your method and not only was it simple and easy, but I was able to make delicious and creamy Cacio E Pepe. Thank you so much! I am truly grateful!
One of the greatest videos I have seen on Cacio e Pepe is by "Alex". It might be a bit too overcomplicated too, but at least it uses the actual traditional ingredients and Alex has an amazing channel!
Another trick I learned to get more starch out of dried pasta is to boil the pasta in much less water than you normally would. Although it takes a bit more attention while boiling, using less water concentrates the starch for the sauce.
This method works! I've made it 3 times now and it was bang on each time after many failures through the years trying other methods. No gimmicks, no oil or extra starchy water, no premade cheesy sauce..... Just follow Eva. Perfect every time. Thank you for this video.
I have both cheeses from Costco! I make sure it has the red medallion showing it's from Italy. We may do this tonight for dinner! Thank you! Sounds delicious! Harper, you did great! Hopefully I can do the same! 😅
I just made my first Cacio e Pepe! The Cheese started clumping and sticking together, added alittle more pasta water seemed to help. TASTES WONDERFUL!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Thank you. I like to make a non-Italian dish where I put spaghetti with olive oil and lemon juice and lemon pepper spice in there with cheese and always get the clumping. I add smoked salmon chunks on top. I can use this method for my dish! It should also work to keep the clumping away.
Look up lemon pasta on UA-cam, there's a few vincenzos plate recipes for lemon sauces that you might enjoy. In Italy there's several varieties of lemons grown in the summer, and they make amazing lemony sauces around the time fresh artichokes are available. You'll probably love other lemon sauces too if you enjoy the ingredients in them. ❤
Exactly. Here in Italy every single region has several types of Pecorino, which for us are often referred to a city. Plus there are different Pecorino cheese based on ageing and or amount of salt. Pecora=sheep, pecorino=cheese made with sheep milk. => hundreds of not thousands of pecorino cheeses!
@@thereccher8746 I wouldn't use pecorino toscano (which is a broad term just like "pecorino" as there area tons of pecorino cheese in Tuscany) for cacio e pepe, unless maybe very well aged. Pecorino techno is usually meant to be eaten raw, or with honey / onion jam and such. Long life to pecorino!!
There’s a restaurant in NYC called Cacio e Pepe and they make the dish table side in a big wheel of pecorino. I visited there many years ago ; it’s still there.
You both are so wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your recipes, knowledge of Italian dishes and charming humor. It has brought me bowls of JOY!
Harper, "So it's fool proof?" Eva, "Si, for sure is Harper proof." 🤣🤣🤣What a great job Eva, not only did you debunk the network hype, you proved that anyone can make cacio e pepe. Yes, even Harper! 🤣🤣🤣The obsession with cacio e pepe falls into the category of obsession over mac and cheese... simple foods don't need special ingredients or methods. Great video! ❤
Bravissima Eva e grazie per questa calcio e pepe semplice e perfetta , fosse per me ti proporrei per una onorificenza per il tuo lavoro di promuovere la vera cucina italiana nel mondo insieme al nostro caro Vincenzo’s plate
I have seen and tried a lot of the recipes on YT for cacio & pepe, but you are the FIRST to address the temperature issue. I think it is the most important key for a good dish. And the mix with the two cheeses is a good tip 🙂
Thanks for the tips!! I made this for my dad tonight (I HATE CHEESE, but he loves both cheese and massive amounts of pepper) and he just about gorged himself on it. Also introduced him to your tomato basil sauce - passata, olive oil, basil and salt - and it blew his mind. I will never use jarred sauces again!!
Congratulations to both of you BUT especially Harper for such a great first effort at Cacio e Pepe. (I used to wonder what cacio meant, as I thought Formaggio was the italian for cheese, until I asked my friend Michele from Rome. He told me cacio is a local, ancient word for cheese in Rome) I so much prefer proper traditional recipes as opposed to UA-camrs who put their spin on recipes and adulterate them, often just for YT hits. I am thinking of the likes of Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Olive, who give the impression that they have to re-invent the wheel to keep people giving them "likes".I would prefer they just did the work of producing their own recipes. But back to you guys, and how great you are at keeping things authentic and do-able. As for the cheese, I know that your former YT collaborator, Vincenzo, puts his grated Pecorini Romano in a blender to get the cheese super-fine but you have proved that you can achieve the same by mixing technique. Great video and again, "Well done" 👏👏
Mahalo nui loa! FINALLY, after years of watching videos and thinking, “It can’t possibly be that complicated,” I finally have my “go to” recipe. I do recall two similar video recipes-one by a Japanese cook in his house, and another by an Italian cook in a restaurant kitchen-but I couldn’t find them anymore because they’re now buried under all the BS “cacio e pepe hack” videos you alluded to. Once again, Pasta Grammar comes through. So grateful for your channel. Best to both of you.
You're so right, at least in my case. I don't enjoy standing in the kitchen stirring something for 3 minutes. Staying and doing nothing is torture. Always said I'm better at growing the food than cooking the food.
For those who are in Toronto, avoid the Tre Stelle brand of pecorino. To quote Eva, it is basically “a block of salt.” A pecorino from Whole Foods 100% worth the investment, given this recipe is only 2 ingredients.
Whole Foods has Pecorino Romano by Fulvi, which one person has recommended, though Whole Foods might have other brands. Are there other brands of Pecorino Romano you prefer?
Keeping the pepper simmering in the pasta water as the pasta cooks is a great idea - essentially concentrating the starch. I would never have thought if that as a step.
I must say I had such a fun time with this episode. It was almost therapeutic hearing her win very easily and very politely while watching those popular videos. This is definitely the exact way to make this and I feel the video now completes my understanding of the dish. Her reaction and comment after trying Harper's pasta is awesome.
i will check out lagerstrom. and i can't stand babish. eva and harper's recipes are stellar. especially the paste di mandorla. i highly HIGHLY recommend it!
Unfortunate to have see trash talking for different content creators under under ppl’s videos. Ppl can’t all succeed, they can only succeed if someone has to “lose” and be insulted Luckily I’m already subbed here but if I wasn’t it would be such a turn off cuz I had fan bases like this
its a myth that pasta makes you fat. The key is to eat it always with some vegetable in. You might notice that most pasta dishes are pasta e broccoli, pasta e zucchine ect. thats how we stay slim ;)
@@baldini75Also, unlike in America, we Italians are not addicted to "super-sizing" everything! One "American-size" serving of paste would be enough to feed three Italians!
Brilliant!! My son is getting ready to head off to college, so I’m teaching him simple recipes to make. He’s made cacio e Pepe before, but we’re going to try this version tomorrow. Simple ingredients cooked well usually gives the best results.
I can vouch for the difficulty of making fileja/maccaruna - during last Fall's pasta grammar tour Eva had a pasta making class and when we were well into attempting to roll the maccaruna and failing, she blithely announced "....oh, this is one of the most difficult pastas to make" and everyone just looked at her...but, we persevered....sort of...
Currently eating the plate of cacio e pepe I just made following this and it's the best I've ever made! Thanks so much for this tutorial, great tips ☺️
When I saw this title, "Stop Overthinking CACIO E PEPE" I was like, what the hell are you talking about? It was hilarious to me because how many people even know what it is, let alone overthink it? It really needs to be on a T shirt. Love you!
after learning about italian food, i realize a lot of pasta dish is basically just left over dishes.... you just go to see what you have in the pantry and the fridge and cook it with pasta...
That's more or less the origin of many of the best dishes in worldwide poor cuisine, of which Italy is undoubtedly one. Old time mothers and grandmas had to be creative with the little they had access to.
Indeed. In Milan, meatballs are made with the leftover meat from the bollito (different cuts of beef and veal boiled... And yes, the water is a stock people cook risotto or ravioli), with the addition of fresh sausage, ham/mortadella and stale bread soaked in milk.
So I just tried making this having never tried it using any of the recipes you previewed from other sources and your technique worked perfectly. We loved it and will make it again. Also the extra sauce is lovely scooped up with some bread.
Very important tip: Alot of youtubers don't realize but atleast in europe the majority of people have no gas stove but a ceran, oldschool or induktion cocking field. Why this is relevant? Gas stove has a gradual heat while all others work in intervals to keep the heat going - this is where most cacio e pepe get clumpy/stringy. If you don't have a gas stove and aren't seasoned enough to get the temperature right there's a trick: Do it as explained here and if you get too watery or the remaining heat is too low, put the remaining pasta water on medium-high heat and put your pan ontop (check beforehand to find a fitting pair). This way you can reintroduce heat very gently and regulated, just keep stirring till you reach the consitency you want to achieve.
@@markharrisllb In the DACH region (germany, austria, suisse), where I'm from, gas stoves are a rarity. But yeah, I kinda guessed it was for most of europe like this without actually thinking.
It’s lovely, as is yr video guys. Yes most people tend to over complicate things- no problem they are insecure and afraid to fail! Best things in life aren’t complicated- yet shine in perfect simplicity ❤
Why? Because Americans have to over complicate and overthink and over produce everything... Italian food is about high-quality, simple, ultra fresh ingredients put together without extra fanfare ... And a mortar and pestle? If it doesn't plug in and light up and have 87 buttons and limited functionality most Americans don't want it😁 Anyway... Love your channel and videos 🤗💙
The culinary chemistry/gastropub types really love getting methodical and scientific with Italian cooking especially, it seems. However, other than recipes reserved for special occasions when it takes 6-8hrs just to make a sauce and another 4hrs to make the perfect Timpano... other than that, most traditional Italian recipes are rustic, pastoral, simple ones that can even be done by your neighbour's nonna whose eyes aren't so good and isn't as strong as she used to be. Just use the correct ingredients and in the right order, be mindful of temperatures and don't rush anything, and it'll all turn out. I think it's just an issue of people overthinking foods they didn't grow up with. I've noticed Mexican and Japanese and French and especially Chinese cuisine also suffers from destructive overthinking when non-natives try their hand at it.
Thanks for this video, I've never had luck with regular pecorino romano because of the clumping, when I started making it the only pecorino I could find was a softer pecorino with truffle in it (which tasted really good) and it never clumped. I'll try your method this week!
Yes, I have made cacio e pepe. I did use pre-shredded pecorino. And yes it clumped up. But my second go around was successful. I did exactly what Eva taught in this video, but I learned to do it that way elsewhere, which I’ve forgotten who already. Thank you for this tutorial. I’ll be making it again.
love that spinal tap nod at the end! I've never really made cacio y pepe, though I do tend to lean into making real alfredo with a bit of a heavy handed addition of black pepper at the end. After this video I think I'll have to give it a try, never really considered it..
I am using a lot of your videos to teach my kid basic techniques of pasta. So many amazing dishes are so damn simple! Basics! Quality ingredients. PASTA WATER, grating your own cheese. The little things that are seldom taught anymore. Bravo~! Love yall
This was so helpful! Mine always clumps, and it’s probably because I was adding the cheese right away instead of letting the pasta sit for those 3 minutes. Excited to try it this way!
i'm not italian but i'm a big fun of this dish, because it's simple and spicy. i experienced a lot with it, and found, that a little grana makes the sauce more smooth, and adding different peppers (my favorite additions are rose-pepper, sechuan pepper and green pepper) makes the dish more interesting. the technique i use is the same for any combinations: toast the peppercorns first, after that grind in a mortar. every other day i filter out the larger pieces but i like the bigger pepper parts as well. meanwhile i boil the water, add the salt (up to taste) and the pasta. cook until almost ready, after that boil the pasta with the grinded pepper together (and with some pastta water). if the pasta is ready, i turn off the heat, and wait some (1-2) minutes (if i added grana, i wait more), after that add the grinded cheese to the pasta, and stir like a machine. the sauce will be silky and homogeneous.
Thanks so much for the demystify.. I actually found myself anticipating reasons for eg allowing a couple of minutes before adding the cheeses. It surprised me a little, until I realised how long I've been benefiting from Eva's knowledge. Can't wait to try this.
I haven’t seen you guys pop up on my UA-cam in maybe a year and I’m happy to be reminded of your channel, and I just wanted to say your hair looks really good at this length Harper
@Pasta Grammar - Eva, thank you for clearing up this dish for us new cooks out here, I know now that Heat was my down fall when making this dish before. Thanks for all the great content.
yes, finally someone could explain it, so even I can do it. Great job, well done. Now I can make it work even with lesser cheese. I went with Sprinz and even that one worked, no more crumpsly™ Stracciatella! Thanks PG!!! Although the video is way too long you will get the info you need.
I have failed making cacio e pepe a lot of times. Looking back, it probably was coz I followed some very wierd ways to make it. I think I will give you way a try.
Eva, thank you so much for naming a few pecorino varieties. I am now driving my local Italian store owner crazy! Plus I now know what to order online from Italy. And I don't have to buy the whole wheel. Thank you again.
I'm really just so greatfull that you made this video! Just couldn't understand that hype about this dish the past two years (in the US)... Thought the whole time 'Pasta with Pepper and Cheese,- ....?!???' So (: THANK YOU ♡
Have you ever tried to make Cacio e Pepe? How did it go?
I didn't have a problem making it but I didn't think it was a life changing as everyone said it was going to be. I'll try again with a better cheese on Eva's advice.
it sometimes comes out a bit runny/watery and I’m trying to drain off extra liquid instead of it all absorbing
È uno dei piatti più semplice al mondo, ma è anche uno dei piatti che difficilmente riesce come deve. Nella maggior parte dei casi il formaggio diventa grumi e non fa la classica cremina. Per quanto riguarda la scelta del Pecorino, questo si può fare in Italia, ma all’estero come nel mio caso (io vivo qui in Germania) è già una grande cosa se io trovo UN tipo di pecorino, non ho scelta tra vari tipi di pecorino.
I've made it several time but I have to say I am not a big fan. Its simple and quick but not my first choice for a pasta dish. I will have to try it again while I am in Italy to see if the better cheese makes a difference.
@@LarryStrawson If you eat a "Cacio e Pepe" (one of the four most famous Roman dishes) in Rome done right, you will see that it can become one of your favorite Italian dishes. It is one of the most delicious Italian dishes! Unfortunately, the problem (and I say this as an Italian) is that this dish is sometimes "hated" because it doesn't come out the way it's supposed to come out. And so when a dish doesn't come out as it should, people try to "hate" it. When the dish is ruined, it's not that you really "fall in love" with that dish. It is one of the simplest dishes in the world, but as usual, simple dishes are often the most difficult to make well.
Another “secret” tip I discovered (and that I’ve never seen mentioned anywhere online) is that the foamy part of the pasta water contains the most flour/starch. Always when you boil anything, the “impurities” (in this case, just the starch) rises to the top and gets collected in the bubbles. So if you grab pasta water with as much foam as you can, the starch in it will help with the emulsification.
I’ve even added a little corn starch to the pasta water if I’m making a small batch and not enough starch in the water. Worked great.
true!
Yeah, I always try to get the really starchy part of the pasta water too! Lol.
I tried grinding up broken pieces of pasta with a coffee grinder (the cheap blade kind) to a powder, then adding them to the water before I put the pasta in. I don't know if it did anything, though.
@@nhf7170you could just achieve the same with a spoon full of flour and save yourself a lot of effort
Its crazy how a pasta dish with 3 ingredients could be the most difficult italian recipe ever
I imported my Pecorino Romano straight from Italy, it was shipped ‘Overnight’ in a refrigerated package, and the pasta I used was spaghetti from la Molisana, and it still made a ball, Vincenzo! lol
! (:
Well, by following your method, it's not difficult at all Vincenzo. The key is follow those who know what they are doing.
I use your recipe Enzo. I actually live on many of your recipes! Respect from Western Australia. Grazie
It isn't.
This young woman is so full of ancient Italian wisdom. I love this channel.
Yesss, Harper is the best ❤
@@michaelwu7678🤣
I like the witchy vibe
She is at least 85 years old.
Brava!!! I have been making Cadio e Pepe for years. The grandkids know it as Italian Mac & Cheese. I am happy to say I make it exactly the same way as Eva. My wife loves it. NO olive oil, Xantham gum, corn starch - OY. And yes using the proper grater and cheese is very important. Well done guys.
Just for giggles made this today (first time having Cacio e Pepe), following the instruction exactly and was extremely amazed just how transformed by how simple this disj really is and how elevated the taste was. For anyone that would think that "wow, that's a lot of pepper", by heating the pepper and infusing the sauce this way, just give the entire bite a unique flavor. For those that worry that the pasta will cool too much, the pepper takes care of that. The cheese melted perfectly and made such a creamy sauce. Aglio e Olio used to be my quick go-to, but changed with this dish. Thanks.
Just had to revisit and once again, thanks for the instructions. Have made this dish probably five times since first airing and never fails.
actually Ethan helped me with his analysis to realise few details. Like the temperature of the pasta water and not to put it straight from boiling to the cheese. That was making it melt. That nobody that was making the dish really communicated and its super important to the success of the dish.
These three different dishes have one thing in common: the right heat to get an emulsion of X and cheesy pasta water to keep the cheese from clumping:
- cacio e pepe (cheese, and pasta water)
- fettuccine al burro (butter, cheese, and pasta water)
- spaghetti alla carbonara (guanciale fat, egg yolk, cheese, and pasta water)
Eva is great with showing the technique and I love that all three just take patience, even if the ingredients (in the US) may not want to cooperate all the time. Thank you both!
I would also mention to use freshly grated cheese. Using cheese that's been shredded and refrigerated will also create clumping problems.
Came to comments to say this. Vote up! Pre-shredded cheese tends to be unrecognizable and contains anti-clumpsing agents.
Pre shredded cheese is often coated in potato starch to keep the shreds separated
I also think that pre-hredded cheese isn't usually as finely grated for what you need. Eva mentions this in the video. Use a microplane to get the right fineness.
@@MyFocusVariesand/or cellulose.
As a general rule, I always say read the labels, and if there’s something on there that wasn’t in a jar in your grandmother’s kitchen (xanthan gum? cellulose? come on), you don’t want it on your plate.
Because everyone here mentions the store bought pre shredded cheese: This also goes for the good quality cheese that you buy and then shred to keep in a jar in the fridge for the next few pasta dishes (consider that most Italians will eat on avarage almost every day a pasta dish so the pre shredded cheese is going to be used up in a few days). I wouldn't use it for caccio e peppe because without the additives used in the store boughts ones it will clump a bit in cold and slightly humid 'climate' of the fridge. So it looses the cloud like consistency that you want for it to easily melt.
Note she used a (comparatively) small amount of water. The reason is that you want the starch from the pasta water as the emulsifying agent. So if you cook the pasta it in less water, you get more starch in each ladle.
I was also going to make a comment about less water = more starch. It is how I "foolproof" these kinds of sauces. You beat me to it. 😊
There is a reason that they reuse the pasta water at Alfredo alla Scrofa. They get a lot of starch in the pasta water!
@@astridrg Learned this from Alex, ua-cam.com/video/q8kTWNwUD88/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Alex
People use more water than that..? That seems so unnecessarily wasteful (water and heating) 😅
@MaztheMeh16 So in my case I was taught how to make pasta by an Italian who told me to use lots of water, this gives the pasta room to boil and be stirred without sticking together. But over time I began overcompensating and trying to hard to use lots of water. So even though I was taught by an Italian I eventually needed a second course correction.
I've also had the clumping issue and, surprise surprise, I was adding all the cheese to the super hot pasta, thinking it needed to be super hot to melt the cheese... 🤦 I will be giving this method a try. Thanks so much Eva and Harper!
Me: hmmm...maybe it's not hot enough...
Hehehe! I know, right??
But I have seen Italian chefs specially in carbonara that like the clump so to each its own
It's the same thing if you're making a cheese sauce with cheddar, you have to turn the heat completely off when you add cheddar to the sauce or else it really will split
I had been trying the cheese paste method from Vincenzo, never worked for me lol. This method looks like it will work perfectly.
Edit: right after I posted this, I saw Harper mention that method 😅
Totally makes sense without any gimmicks. Thanks for this.
Cacio E Pepe has become my daughter favourite dish, she love how simple it is and tasty. The way we have been getting rid of the clumps. has been putting the cheese into a bowl and as the pasta cooks, I add a small amount of pasta water at time and mix it well and at the end slowly adding into the pasta mixing and tossing. Works pretty well
Your wrap-up was spot-on: this IS the only Cacio e Pepe recipe you will need. And for Harper to do so well with his first try just shows that Eva is as good a teacher as she is an Italian cook. You explained everything so well and answered all of the "why's?" in your viewers' minds, that you left us all with the confidence that we could do it, too. And Harper then proved it. Thanks!
Eva enjoying Harper's pasta brought a smile to my face.
Te meriti la cittadinanza onoraria de Roma co 'sta cacio e pepe! Tanti non sanno che dopo averla "ripassata" in padella con il pepe deve riposare sennò, se ci metti il pecorino quando è troppo calda... fila come 'na sottiletta! Diversamente, si può preparare prima il condimento con il pepe ed il pecorino e l'acqua di cottura, poi si butta la pasta nella padella e si "manteca" a fuoco spento.
You remain one of my favourite food content providers. Entertaining warm and easy to understand and follow.
I love these 'reaction' type videos... It's good to see a critique of other peoples' styles (which are all valid in their own way)... and it gives a great context for the recipe or technique...
Apart from the likes of James Makinson who just seems to do reaction vlogs... what a load of C***!!!It should be banned
I know it's not the point of the video, but I have to say it: Eva's hair is divine!
Cacio e Pepe is my go to. It’s quick, easy and delicious, and the best part is the ingredients are always staples in my house!
cooling down the pasta has actually saved my life oh my god, it’s made the recipe so simple!
Literally, the best episode evah! Something that should be simple turns out to be... simple. Good quality ingredients and the knowledge to use them correctly.😉
I had the clumpsyness problem too but made it like you showed with peccorino and parmigiano and it was VERY delicious!!!! Thank you!
People don't realize that the starch from the pasta is the binder and that is why you don't need xanthem gum or cornstarch.
Yes they realize, but many nowadays pasta is too "good" and do not give the starch out enough. Thats one reason people are now after the "trafilata al bronzo" pasta, as it has the "whiteish skin" which gives easily the starch out. And thats the reason in this video was talked about fresh pasta.
@@OKuusava Jepp fresh pasta releases a lot of starch...
But cornstarch is super easy to use. Why not use cornstarch?
@@ThirdLawPair Because it's bland and tasteless and doesn't add anything to a dish except for chalkiness.
@@ThirdLawPair you need a liquifier, this can be hot fat or hot water... and the cheapest option simply is to use the pasta water which has both, starch and hot liquid...
Thank you! I've failed at making Cacio E Pepe multiple times and had giant clumps of cheese every time. I used your method and not only was it simple and easy, but I was able to make delicious and creamy Cacio E Pepe. Thank you so much! I am truly grateful!
I think "clumpsy" is an excellent description of my cacio e pepe!!!!
(:
One of the greatest videos I have seen on Cacio e Pepe is by "Alex". It might be a bit too overcomplicated too, but at least it uses the actual traditional ingredients and Alex has an amazing channel!
Another trick I learned to get more starch out of dried pasta is to boil the pasta in much less water than you normally would. Although it takes a bit more attention while boiling, using less water concentrates the starch for the sauce.
I do this too! Thought it was my own brilliant invention 😂
This method works! I've made it 3 times now and it was bang on each time after many failures through the years trying other methods. No gimmicks, no oil or extra starchy water, no premade cheesy sauce..... Just follow Eva. Perfect every time. Thank you for this video.
I have both cheeses from Costco! I make sure it has the red medallion showing it's from Italy. We may do this tonight for dinner! Thank you! Sounds delicious! Harper, you did great! Hopefully I can do the same! 😅
If you end up making it I'd love to know how it goes!
I just made my first Cacio e Pepe! The Cheese started clumping and sticking together, added alittle more pasta water seemed to help.
TASTES WONDERFUL!!!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Spectacular, excellent, brilliant, my standing ovation for both of you...
I'm so glad I found this channel. It's straightforward, down to Earth, recipes are in a context, style of cooking. Binging
Thank you. I like to make a non-Italian dish where I put spaghetti with olive oil and lemon juice and lemon pepper spice in there with cheese and always get the clumping. I add smoked salmon chunks on top. I can use this method for my dish! It should also work to keep the clumping away.
Look up lemon pasta on UA-cam, there's a few vincenzos plate recipes for lemon sauces that you might enjoy. In Italy there's several varieties of lemons grown in the summer, and they make amazing lemony sauces around the time fresh artichokes are available. You'll probably love other lemon sauces too if you enjoy the ingredients in them. ❤
This sauce sounds delicious btw!
Bravo, Harper! No surprise that Eva hit it out of the park.
Exactly. "Pecorino" in Italy is a tricky word because it covers a broad spectrum of very different sheep cheeses.
This was very important to learn. I had no idea.
Not tricky at all, as we know there is at least 300 diff pecorinos, but the one you are after is simply "pecorino romano"
Exactly. Here in Italy every single region has several types of Pecorino, which for us are often referred to a city. Plus there are different Pecorino cheese based on ageing and or amount of salt.
Pecora=sheep, pecorino=cheese made with sheep milk. => hundreds of not thousands of pecorino cheeses!
I tried Pecorino Toscano. It wasn't the same.
@@thereccher8746 I wouldn't use pecorino toscano (which is a broad term just like "pecorino" as there area tons of pecorino cheese in Tuscany) for cacio e pepe, unless maybe very well aged. Pecorino techno is usually meant to be eaten raw, or with honey / onion jam and such. Long life to pecorino!!
I will have to retry this dish. A simplification such as this video presents definitely makes more sense. Thank you!
There’s a restaurant in NYC called Cacio e Pepe and they make the dish table side in a big wheel of pecorino. I visited there many years ago ; it’s still there.
I love how you guys explain every things. It's simple, not big drama crazy but mention the things to look out for. Thanks!
Ive never ever made or tried that dish before. It looks delicious and will make it, thank you Eva grazie mille x
You both are so wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your recipes, knowledge of Italian dishes and charming humor. It has brought me bowls of JOY!
Harper, "So it's fool proof?" Eva, "Si, for sure is Harper proof." 🤣🤣🤣What a great job Eva, not only did you debunk the network hype, you proved that anyone can make cacio e pepe. Yes, even Harper! 🤣🤣🤣The obsession with cacio e pepe falls into the category of obsession over mac and cheese... simple foods don't need special ingredients or methods. Great video! ❤
Bravissima Eva e grazie per questa calcio e pepe semplice e perfetta , fosse per me ti proporrei per una onorificenza per il tuo lavoro di promuovere la vera cucina italiana nel mondo insieme al nostro caro Vincenzo’s plate
I tried to make cacio e Pepe just once. I used a cast iron skillet that stayed hot. Let’s just say I ate something else that night.
Lol..
Cacio e clumpepe
I love that I met you guys on the streets of Rome. You two are wonderful! Thanks for being so sweet!
I love it! The best episode of the best channel. ❤
I have seen and tried a lot of the recipes on YT for cacio & pepe, but you are the FIRST to address the temperature issue. I think it is the most important key for a good dish. And the mix with the two cheeses is a good tip 🙂
So many videos I've seen concerning cacio e pepe and this one is the easiest and the least stressful.
now just make it? ;-)
@@OKuusava I just might.😋
Cacio e Pepe is my favorite pasta dish. And yes, I've had issues with the clumping. I will definitely try this way to make it! Thank you!
Thank you for this video. People overthink it too much!
Thanks for the tips!! I made this for my dad tonight (I HATE CHEESE, but he loves both cheese and massive amounts of pepper) and he just about gorged himself on it. Also introduced him to your tomato basil sauce - passata, olive oil, basil and salt - and it blew his mind. I will never use jarred sauces again!!
Congratulations to both of you BUT especially Harper for such a great first effort at Cacio e Pepe. (I used to wonder what cacio meant, as I
thought Formaggio was the italian for cheese, until I asked my friend Michele from Rome. He told me cacio is a local, ancient word for cheese in Rome) I so much prefer proper traditional recipes as opposed to UA-camrs who put their spin on recipes and adulterate them, often just for YT hits. I am thinking of the likes of Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Olive, who give the impression that they have to re-invent the wheel to keep people giving them "likes".I would prefer they just did the work of producing their own recipes.
But back to you guys, and how great you are at keeping things authentic and do-able. As for the cheese, I know that your former YT collaborator, Vincenzo, puts his grated Pecorini Romano in a blender to get the cheese super-fine but you have proved that you can achieve the same by mixing technique. Great video and again, "Well done" 👏👏
Mahalo nui loa! FINALLY, after years of watching videos and thinking, “It can’t possibly be that complicated,” I finally have my “go to” recipe. I do recall two similar video recipes-one by a Japanese cook in his house, and another by an Italian cook in a restaurant kitchen-but I couldn’t find them anymore because they’re now buried under all the BS “cacio e pepe hack” videos you alluded to. Once again, Pasta Grammar comes through. So grateful for your channel. Best to both of you.
Technique is the hardest ingredient in a recipe like this. Most people don't have the patience for proper techniques.
You're so right, at least in my case. I don't enjoy standing in the kitchen stirring something for 3 minutes. Staying and doing nothing is torture.
Always said I'm better at growing the food than cooking the food.
Get a beverage, set the table... 3 minutes filled. 😂❤
Y'all are both beautiful souls for helping me understand REAL Italian cuisine.
For those who are in Toronto, avoid the Tre Stelle brand of pecorino. To quote Eva, it is basically “a block of salt.” A pecorino from Whole Foods 100% worth the investment, given this recipe is only 2 ingredients.
Whole Foods has Pecorino Romano by Fulvi, which one person has recommended, though Whole Foods might have other brands. Are there other brands of Pecorino Romano you prefer?
Keeping the pepper simmering in the pasta water as the pasta cooks is a great idea - essentially concentrating the starch. I would never have thought if that as a step.
More of Harper cooking in the future episodes! 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for this episode. All the 'cooks' are 'experimenting' as you say. Thank Goodness I have my old cookbooks!
“It’s Harper proof!” Lol. Great video!
I must say I had such a fun time with this episode. It was almost therapeutic hearing her win very easily and very politely while watching those popular videos. This is definitely the exact way to make this and I feel the video now completes my understanding of the dish. Her reaction and comment after trying Harper's pasta is awesome.
For the record Babish is NOT my favorite internet chef. No way. I like your channel, and also Brian Lagerstrom's. Straight forward and reliable.
i will check out lagerstrom. and i can't stand babish. eva and harper's recipes are stellar. especially the paste di mandorla. i highly HIGHLY recommend it!
Babish's understudy who does all the pop culture dishes is better... Babish himself tends to butcher things.
Unfortunate to have see trash talking for different content creators under under ppl’s videos. Ppl can’t all succeed, they can only succeed if someone has to “lose” and be insulted
Luckily I’m already subbed here but if I wasn’t it would be such a turn off cuz I had fan bases like this
Chef. John.
At this point the only channels I trust are Eva and Harper, Vincenzo, Helen Rennie, French Cooking Academy and, as always, Chef John.
I always chuckled at the difficult guy video, but he seems to enjoy making things unnecessarily complicated. I'm for this method, thanks!
we want you to do "what I eat in a day" video and how you stay so slim with all that pasta around!
its a myth that pasta makes you fat. The key is to eat it always with some vegetable in. You might notice that most pasta dishes are pasta e broccoli, pasta e zucchine ect. thats how we stay slim ;)
@@baldini75Also, unlike in America, we Italians are not addicted to "super-sizing" everything! One "American-size" serving of paste would be enough to feed three Italians!
Brilliant!! My son is getting ready to head off to college, so I’m teaching him simple recipes to make. He’s made cacio e Pepe before, but we’re going to try this version tomorrow. Simple ingredients cooked well usually gives the best results.
I can vouch for the difficulty of making fileja/maccaruna - during last Fall's pasta grammar tour Eva had a pasta making class and when we were well into attempting to roll the maccaruna and failing, she blithely announced "....oh, this is one of the most difficult pastas to make" and everyone just looked at her...but, we persevered....sort of...
Currently eating the plate of cacio e pepe I just made following this and it's the best I've ever made! Thanks so much for this tutorial, great tips ☺️
I love the background music
When I saw this title, "Stop Overthinking CACIO E PEPE" I was like, what the hell are you talking about? It was hilarious to me because how many people even know what it is, let alone overthink it? It really needs to be on a T shirt. Love you!
after learning about italian food, i realize a lot of pasta dish is basically just left over dishes.... you just go to see what you have in the pantry and the fridge and cook it with pasta...
Finalmente qualcuno che ha capito,! Quando mi faccio la pasta, ne faccio un pò di più e quella che avanza la scaldo la sera
That's more or less the origin of many of the best dishes in worldwide poor cuisine, of which Italy is undoubtedly one. Old time mothers and grandmas had to be creative with the little they had access to.
Exactly. All you need is good, fresh ingredients and a good tecnique.
Indeed. In Milan, meatballs are made with the leftover meat from the bollito (different cuts of beef and veal boiled... And yes, the water is a stock people cook risotto or ravioli), with the addition of fresh sausage, ham/mortadella and stale bread soaked in milk.
So I just tried making this having never tried it using any of the recipes you previewed from other sources and your technique worked perfectly. We loved it and will make it again. Also the extra sauce is lovely scooped up with some bread.
Very important tip: Alot of youtubers don't realize but atleast in europe the majority of people have no gas stove but a ceran, oldschool or induktion cocking field. Why this is relevant? Gas stove has a gradual heat while all others work in intervals to keep the heat going - this is where most cacio e pepe get clumpy/stringy. If you don't have a gas stove and aren't seasoned enough to get the temperature right there's a trick: Do it as explained here and if you get too watery or the remaining heat is too low, put the remaining pasta water on medium-high heat and put your pan ontop (check beforehand to find a fitting pair). This way you can reintroduce heat very gently and regulated, just keep stirring till you reach the consitency you want to achieve.
Wait, what? In Italy, at least, the vast majority of cooking stoves ARE gas stoves. Induction or other kinds are much rarer.
I don’t know where you have been in Europe but most stoves in the U.K. are gas.
@@markharrisllb In the DACH region (germany, austria, suisse), where I'm from, gas stoves are a rarity. But yeah, I kinda guessed it was for most of europe like this without actually thinking.
It’s lovely, as is yr video guys. Yes most people tend to over complicate things- no problem they are insecure and afraid to fail! Best things in life aren’t complicated- yet shine in perfect simplicity ❤
Eva is a perfectionist.
That's why I love the way Italy cooks. Easy recipes simpel to do but fantastic taste......😋
Why?
Because Americans have to over complicate and overthink and over produce everything... Italian food is about high-quality, simple, ultra fresh ingredients put together without extra fanfare ...
And a mortar and pestle?
If it doesn't plug in and light up and have 87 buttons and limited functionality most Americans don't want it😁
Anyway...
Love your channel and videos 🤗💙
😂 my bestie just got me a mortar and pestal for Christmas ! I LOVE it!!!
So I had never made this before. I followed your recipe and it came out amazing! Thank you for showing me how to make this ❤
The culinary chemistry/gastropub types really love getting methodical and scientific with Italian cooking especially, it seems. However, other than recipes reserved for special occasions when it takes 6-8hrs just to make a sauce and another 4hrs to make the perfect Timpano... other than that, most traditional Italian recipes are rustic, pastoral, simple ones that can even be done by your neighbour's nonna whose eyes aren't so good and isn't as strong as she used to be.
Just use the correct ingredients and in the right order, be mindful of temperatures and don't rush anything, and it'll all turn out.
I think it's just an issue of people overthinking foods they didn't grow up with. I've noticed Mexican and Japanese and French and especially Chinese cuisine also suffers from destructive overthinking when non-natives try their hand at it.
Well said!
Thanks for this video, I've never had luck with regular pecorino romano because of the clumping, when I started making it the only pecorino I could find was a softer pecorino with truffle in it (which tasted really good) and it never clumped. I'll try your method this week!
Did he just say " It's fool proof " and she said " yes it's Harper proof " ??? Lmao
Eva. Sei brava signorina. Well done for teaching others the proper way
Brava
Thank you for this video. My sauce always breaks.
Bravissima Eva: hai tirato fuori un altro italianissimo "uovo di Colombo".
UA-camrs love Complicating simple dishes. Thank you for simplifying it, without having to make up unnecessary "science " stuff.
Yes, I have made cacio e pepe. I did use pre-shredded pecorino. And yes it clumped up. But my second go around was successful. I did exactly what Eva taught in this video, but I learned to do it that way elsewhere, which I’ve forgotten who already. Thank you for this tutorial. I’ll be making it again.
love that spinal tap nod at the end!
I've never really made cacio y pepe, though I do tend to lean into making real alfredo with a bit of a heavy handed addition of black pepper at the end. After this video I think I'll have to give it a try, never really considered it..
I am using a lot of your videos to teach my kid basic techniques of pasta. So many amazing dishes are so damn simple! Basics! Quality ingredients. PASTA WATER, grating your own cheese. The little things that are seldom taught anymore. Bravo~! Love yall
This was so helpful! Mine always clumps, and it’s probably because I was adding the cheese right away instead of letting the pasta sit for those 3 minutes. Excited to try it this way!
I love your nonverbal communication using your eyes, facial expression and your hands. It’s so good. It’s my favorite! 6:58
17:12
Brilliantly presented. Excellent! And very important to point out some of the unnecessary over-complicated methods on UT 👏
i'm not italian but i'm a big fun of this dish, because it's simple and spicy. i experienced a lot with it, and found, that a little grana makes the sauce more smooth, and adding different peppers (my favorite additions are rose-pepper, sechuan pepper and green pepper) makes the dish more interesting. the technique i use is the same for any combinations: toast the peppercorns first, after that grind in a mortar. every other day i filter out the larger pieces but i like the bigger pepper parts as well. meanwhile i boil the water, add the salt (up to taste) and the pasta. cook until almost ready, after that boil the pasta with the grinded pepper together (and with some pastta water). if the pasta is ready, i turn off the heat, and wait some (1-2) minutes (if i added grana, i wait more), after that add the grinded cheese to the pasta, and stir like a machine. the sauce will be silky and homogeneous.
Thanks so much for the demystify.. I actually found myself anticipating reasons for eg allowing a couple of minutes before adding the cheeses. It surprised me a little, until I realised how long I've been benefiting from Eva's knowledge. Can't wait to try this.
I haven’t seen you guys pop up on my UA-cam in maybe a year and I’m happy to be reminded of your channel, and I just wanted to say your hair looks really good at this length Harper
Well, I've never tried Cacio e Pepe, but I really do like the name. You two make this look so easy. I have to try it for myself. Wish me luck.
Well I made this for a friend tonight… Thank you guys… it came out perfectly!!!😋
@Pasta Grammar - Eva, thank you for clearing up this dish for us new cooks out here, I know now that Heat was my down fall when making this dish before. Thanks for all the great content.
yes, finally someone could explain it, so even I can do it. Great job, well done. Now I can make it work even with lesser cheese. I went with Sprinz and even that one worked, no more crumpsly™ Stracciatella! Thanks PG!!! Although the video is way too long you will get the info you need.
I have failed making cacio e pepe a lot of times. Looking back, it probably was coz I followed some very wierd ways to make it. I think I will give you way a try.
Eva, thank you so much for naming a few pecorino varieties. I am now driving my local Italian store owner crazy! Plus I now know what to order online from Italy. And I don't have to buy the whole wheel. Thank you again.
I'm really just so greatfull that you made this video! Just couldn't understand that hype about this dish the past two years (in the US)... Thought the whole time 'Pasta with Pepper and Cheese,- ....?!???'
So (: THANK YOU ♡