Chef Ali Celik’s Villa di Como-style Cacio e Pepe
Chef Ali Celik of Villa di Como and 288 Tap & Tavern in downtown Albany, NY, puts on a flaming show when preparing his cacio e pepe tableside. He shares his recipe so you can make his creamy twist on the classic dish at home. Cacio e pepe - literally “cheese and pepper” - is a flavorful dish that you can serve by itself with plenty of pepper or dress up with a topping of grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
| 1 bag good quality pasta |
| 4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese |
| 4 ounces Grated Grana Padano (or you can substitute Parmesan or Pecorino Romano |
| 1 pinch Kosher salt |
| 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper |
Optional cream sauce
| Heavy cream |
| 1 stick salted butter |
| Grated Parmesan |
| 1 pinch salt |
| 1 pinch pepper |
Chef Ali Celik’s Villa di Como-style Cacio e Pepe Directions
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. Season with salt. Stir to stop pasta sticking and cook until pasta is al dente. (*Taste your pasta for texture: there should be a little firm bite to it. Fresh pasta needs only about 3 minutes; dried pasta usually takes around 8 to 9 minutes. Follow your package cooking instructions, but also check a little earlier so the pasta does not overcook.)
- Drain, but reserve a cup of pasta water to be used in the next step.
- Put pasta into a large pot or skillet over low heat and add Chef Ali's *additional cream sauce (if using), with all the grated cheese, and 1-2 tablespoons of your reserved pasta water, so that your pasta will not be too dry. (*Use less pasta water if you add the cream sauce, more if not.)
- Grate black pepper to your liking (generously) and mix it well for 1 minute. Toss with tongs until cheese sauce coats the pasta.
- Transfer pasta to warm bowls and serve. You can grate more pepper and grated cheese on top, if you would like.
To make Chef Ali's additional cream sauce
From Chef Ali: “If you would like to add it into your pasta, then the following needs to be done in advance. Ideally, you make this step while you boil your pasta. "Bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a simmer. Add a little salted butter and 2 oz. of Parmesan Cheese stirring until butter melts. Then it’s ready.
Recipe notes
Variation: Grill chicken, sear salmon or sauté garlic shrimp with butter and garlic to boost the protein.
“If you mess it up no worries, your 2nd trial will be better than the 1st!” - Chef Ali Celik, Villa di Como.
