Casareccie Crudaiola - Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Rocket Pasta

Ingredients  (for 4People)

• 400 gr. Casareccie de Cecco 
• 2 cups of peeled and cubed fresh tomato
• 2 cups of roughly chopped sun dried tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic finely sliced
• 4 tablespoon extra virgin
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 buffalo mozzarella Zanetti
• 2 tablespoon of finely chopped Italian parsley
• 20 gr. Fresh rocket 
• Salt for seasoning 

Method

1. Bring plenty of salty water to the boil, pour the Casareccie in and give it a stir.
2. In a large pan, pour the oil and add the garlic and start to gently fry. 
3. After a half a minute add the parsley first ,then the fresh and sun dried tomatoes. Season with salt and simmer for no more than 2 minutes.
4. When the pasta is al dente drain whilst reserving a small amount of the cooking water to add to the sauce if it is too dry.
5. Toss the pasta into the sauce and mix through. 
6. Place the pasta in four bowls, rip the mozzarella by hand into small pieces and place it on top of the pasta. 
7. Garnish with a handful of fresh rocket and buon appetito!!  

Pecorino Cheese

What makes Pecorino so good? 

Pecorino cheese gets its name from the word pecora, Italian for “sheep” as it is, unsurprisingly, made from sheep’s milk.

There are many kinds of pecorino made traditionally throughout Italy, varying from region to region and sheep to sheep, the most famous ones being Pecorino Romano (from Rome), Pecorino Sardo (Sardinian) and Pecorino Toscano.

Pecorinos can be aged or young, dry, salty, and sharp, or mild, sweet, and soft. All pecorinos have a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), and most fall under larger groupings based on the regions in which they're produced for example Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Toscano, and Pecorino Siciliano.

The best way to understand a pecorino is in terms of its age. Aged pecorinos (which would be considered so when aged 6 or more months) tend to be drier, dense, and firm, with increasingly assertive flavours and more crumbly texture developing over time. At best, these are the cheeses that become crystalline, nutty, and satisfyingly toothsome, with flavours ranging from gamey to smokey to sweet. At worst, they turn sandy, salty, and unbalanced.

How to use it

In terms of cooking, these are the best cheeses for finishing dishes, as you would use Parmigiano Reggiano. They're denser, easily grateable, and salty, so when they're good, they add a nuanced salty-fatty thing to your dishes. These aged cheeses make some of the most successful pairing partners to red wines, because their fat content can stand up to the intensity that comes with richer wines. 

Credit: 
www.thekitchn.com

Emiko Davies

Pecorino Romano Kale lemon and pears salad

Pecorino Romano Kale lemon and  pears salad

Ingredients 

for 4 people:

1 bunch of fresh kale or cavolo nero (black kale)

1 lemon juice 

1/2 cup of extravirgin olive oil

1/2 cup of sliced roasted almond or walnuts 

3 large williams pears peeled and sliced 

150 gr. shaved pecorino romano

Method

1. Wash and spin dry the kale and discard the hard stem. 
2. Roll the leaves and with a sharp knife slice thin ribbons and place it in a large bowl. 
3. Make a dressing with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
4. Toss it into the bowl adding the pecorino cheese and the pears and the almonds/walnuts , let it rest half and hour before serving.

Buon Appetito!

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons of black peppercorns

350g of De Cecco Bucatini or spaghetti 

200g very finely grated Pecorino Romano (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

1 Tablespoon of butter

Method:

Toast peppercorns in a dry small skillet over moderately high heat, swirling skillet, until fragrant and peppercorns begin to jump, 2 to 3 minutes. Coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or alternatively use freshly ground pepper corn

Cook the pasta in a large pot with plenty of salted water until al dente.

Fill a large glass or ceramic bowl with some hot water to warm bowl. Just before the pasta has finished cooking, drain bowl but do not dry.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta quickly in a colander (do not shake off excess water) and add to warm pasta bowl. add the butter into the bowl , Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese and 3 tablespoons cooking water and the pepper corn evenly over spaghetti and toss quickly. If pasta seems dry, toss with some additional cooking water.

Divide pasta among 4 plates, Serve immediately with additional cheese on the side.