Cacio e Pepe with Broccoli Rabe
An accessible recipe that only needs a few ingredients, Cacio e Pepe is a traditional Roman sauce with pecorino-romano and black pepper. Broccoli rabe adds a good vegetal flavor and brightens the whole dish up. Broccoli rabe is cooked with the pasta, and then added to the sauce for a simple meal that doesn’t make any sacrifices on flavor.
Recipe by Jenn Louis
Jenn Louis has competed on Bravo’s « Top Chef Masters, » was named one of Food & Wine’s « Best New Chefs, » and her simple, sophisticated cooking style, utilizing seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients, has earned her two nominations for the James Beard Foundation Award of Best Chef: Northwest. Her debut cookbook, published in 2015, which was nominated for an IACP from the International Association of Culinary Professionals in the category of « Single Subject Cookbooks, » and her second book, The Book of Greens, debuted in April 2017.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe
- 1 lb dried spaghetti
- 4 oz ground pecorino-romano, plus more for garnish
- 2 Tbsp roughly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Trim long bottom stems of broccoli rabe, about 4 inches, and discard. Roughly chop remaining leaves and thinner stems into 1/2” ribbons or strips. About 10 oz should remain. Set aside.
2. In a large pot of salted boiling water cook pasta until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook until pasta is tender to your likeness, about 4 additional minutes.
3. Using a fine mesh sieve or colander, drain pasta and broccoli rabe, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
4. Place pasta and broccoli rabe back into pot and stir over very low heat adding cheese, pepper and enough pasta water that the cheese becomes a soft sauce, about 2 minutes.
5. Divide pasta amongst plates and garnish with additional cheese.
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