Roman chefs accused Britain’s leading recipe brand of bastardizing the famous cacio e pepe pasta dish, The Times reported this summer.
The original recipe calls for combining black pepper and sharp Pecorino Romano, but Good Food published a recipe that added butter and featured Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Pecorino Romano. In a letter to Good Food and the British Embassy in Rome, chefs in the Italian capital complained about the move.
“That’s like us coming to Britain and demanding the finest double malt whiskey mixed with lemonade,” said Claudio Pica, author of the letter and president of the Rome branch of the restaurant association Fiepet-Confesercenti.
Traditional cacio e pepe uses spaghetti, and the mixing of the ingredients to obtain the famous “cremina” is fundamental, La Cucina Italiana explains.
“Finding the right balance between cheese and cooking water is by no means easy. To make the ingredients amalgamate into a smooth cremina, you have to add just the right amount of cooking water, alternating it with pecorino to get a good consistency. Many argue that the best way is to finish the cooking of the cacio e pepe in a pan so as to allow the spaghetti to release starch, which is fundamental for the sauce to amalgamate perfectly. Remember that the original recipe does not include oil, butter or cream to make the cremina — so proper ingredients, dosage and technique are crucial.”
Dining and Cooking