Cacio e Pepe
recipe courtesy of smittenkitchen.com

-==-==-==--==-==-==--==-==-==--==-==-==--==-==-==--==-==-==--==-==- 

8 ounces dried spaghetti or tonnarelli

4 ounces aged pecorino romano, finely grated

A lot of freshly ground black pepper (2 tbsp was too much)

Bring a pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook pasta to one minute
shy of package instructions and taste for your desired doneness,
cooking a minute longer if needed. We are not cooking the pasta and
sauce further together on the stove, so the bite it has now is
about what your final dish will.

While it’s cooking, combine all the pecorino (except a spoonful fo
r garnish) and lots of freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Add 1
tablespoon cold water and use an immersion blender to work it into
a paste, adding additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time,
only as needed. You want to form the mixture into a paste about the
thickness of cream cheese or frosting. I use about 4 to 5tablespoons
total for this amount. Blend more than you think is needed; you want
this paste as smooth as you can get it. You can do this same process
in a food processor, even grinding the cheese in it instead of 
grating it first but it will require longer processing to get the
rubble-like cheese smooth.

Before the pasta is done, scoop out a cup of hot cooking water and
set it aside. Drain the pasta very quickly in a colander (no need
to shake every drop of water off) and immediately drop it, piping
hot, into a large bowl. Add 3/4 of cheese-pepper paste in dollops
and toss to combine. It’s going to be too thick to form a sau but
once it has begun to coat the noodles, pour in one small ladleful
of pasta water and toss, toss, toss (a lot of movement helps here)
to loosen the paste into a lightly creamy consistency that evenly
coats the spaghetti strands. Taste and add more of the 
cheese-pepper paste to taste, or use it all. Add more pasta water
as needed only to loosen.

Finish with reserved pecorino and a few grinds of black pepper. 
Eat immediately.