Comprising one-third of the Roman pasta trinity, cacio e pepe never fails to entice anyone familiar with its creamy, cheesy, peppery deliciousness. This recipe for risotto cacio e pepe incorporates one of the most oh-so-Roman chicory varieties: puntarelle. If you can't find it, just swap it for another type of chicory. Or, since cacio e pepe never goes out of season (and neither does risotto), substitute any seasonal vegetable that corresponds to the season in which you're preparing it – or just do without it. Risotto cacio e pepe tastes equally delicious sans embellishments, letting the pure, unadulterated essence of cacio e pepe speak for itself.
Risotto Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Recipe: Davide Brovelli
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for 4
1¼ qt. vegetable broth
12 oz. Carnaroli rice (320 g)
1 shallot
1 head of puntarelle (or another seasonal chicory/greens/vegetables)
dry white wine
Pecorino Romano DOP
extra-virgin olive oil
pepper
Procedure
If using chicory, clean it then cut it into slices. Soak the slices in the water and ice to make them crunchy.
Chop the shallot and brown it in a saucepan with a drizzle of oil. Toast the rice then pour in
½ glass of wine, mix, and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add a little bit of broth and cook, adding more broth 1 ladle at a time after the previous ladleful starts to dry up. It should take around 15-18 minutes.
Mix 7-8 oz. grated Pecorino with 2 ladles of hot broth hot, then mix with a hand blender
until a cream forms. Set aside 4 spoonfuls for plating.
Once the rice has cooked, stir in the Pecorino cream, adding 1 additional Tbsp. grated Pecorino and a drizzle of oil. Serve the risotto with the chicory, a dollop of the Pecorino cream, and a generous portion of freshly ground black pepper.