Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 4-6 servings

- 2 teaspoons peppercorns Sea salt
- 1 lb (500 g) spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz/185 g) grated pecorino romano cheese

Pasta, grated cheese, and black pepper—it sounds simple. And it is, but that simplicity demands excellent ingredients: freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, a superb extra-virgin olive oil, and, if you have time, freshly made pasta. In Lazio, the sauce is tossed with tonnarelli, a fresh square-cut strand pasta, but spaghetti can be substituted.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil. While the water is heating, begin making the sauce. Put the peppercorns in a small frying pan over low heat and heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a cloth napkin or on a piece of waxed paper, and crush with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy frying pan.
When the water is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, according to  the package directions.

While the spaghetti cooks, scoop out a ladleful of the cooking water and add it and the olive oil to a large frying pan. Add a small handful of the cheese and mix vigorously with a fork or whisk. When the pasta is ready, scoop out and reserve 11/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml) of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Add the drained pasta to the frying pan and piace over low heat. Gradually add the remaining cheese, the crushed pepper, and spoonfuls of the cooking water as needed to make a creamy sauce, stirring and tossing for about 3 minutes to finish cooking the pasta and to coat the strands evenly with the sauce. Divide among warmed bowls and serve at once.

Buon appetito!