Baked Trofie cacio e pepe

Baked Trofie cacio e pepe is an oven-baked variant of the classic Roman dish, made with a typical Ligurian pasta. Oven baking provides the pasta with a slightly crunchy and gratinated consistency. Here is the recipe to prepare a delicious plate of baked Trofie cacio e pepe.

Ingredients

• 320 g of trofie;
• 200 g of Pecorino Romano (or a mix of pecorino and Parmesan if you prefer a less intense flavor);
• 1 teaspoon of whole black pepper to be ground fresh;
• Salt to taste;
• Butter for greasing the baking dish;
• Pasta cooking water as needed.

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the trofie until al dente, remembering they will continue cooking in the oven.
2. Meanwhile, finely grate the Pecorino Romano.
3. Lightly toast the pepper grains in a pan until aromatic, then coarsely grind them with a mortar or pepper mill.
4. Drain the trofie, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
5. In a bowl, add some of the grated pecorino and a portion of the hot cooking water, stirring vigorously to create a cream.
6. Add the trofie to the pecorino cream and mix well to amalgamate, gradually adding more cooking water if necessary to maintain a creamy consistency. Incorporate the ground pepper.
7. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
8. Grease a baking dish with some butter and transfer the dressed trofie.
9. Sprinkle with the remaining pecorino and add a little more pepper if desired.
10. Place the trofie in the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until you get a golden crust on top.
11. Remove from oven and let rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Fun Fact

Cacio e pepe is a Roman cuisine classic, traditionally prepared with tonnarelli or spaghetti. This oven-baked interpretation with trofie allows for experimenting with a different pasta and achieving an interesting and appetizing gratin that adds texture to the dish.