Risotto cacio e pepe

Risotto cacio e pepe is an Italian take on the classic Roman pasta dish. Here are the ingredients and the procedure for a risotto cacio e pepe for about 4 people.

Ingredients

• 320 g of Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• 1 liter of vegetable broth
• 100 g of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 30 g of butter
• Salt, to taste (if necessary, as the pecorino is already savory)
• Extra virgin olive oil or butter for sautéing

Preparation

1. Prepare a hot vegetable broth and keep it at hand on a low heat.
2. Lightly toast the rice in a large pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a bit of butter, without browning it.
3. Start adding the hot broth, a ladle at a time, waiting for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more.
4. While the rice is cooking, grate the Pecorino Romano cheese and grind the black pepper if you haven’t already done so.
5. Continue cooking the rice, adding broth as necessary. This should take about 18 minutes. Taste the rice to check the doneness, which should be al dente.
6. When the rice is almost done but still quite brothy, add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and the ground black pepper.
7. Stir well to ensure that the pecorino melts, creating a cream with the broth and rice.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter to cream the risotto further, and cover with a lid for a couple of minutes.
9. Serve the risotto cacio e pepe hot, perhaps with an extra sprinkling of pecorino and black pepper.

Curiosities

Risotto cacio e pepe was born from the meeting of two very strong Italian culinary traditions: the Lombard tradition of risotto and the Lazio tradition of pasta cacio e pepe. The art of creaming the risotto with butter and cheese is fundamental to achieving the right creaminess and to ensure that the dish is glossy and inviting.