Risotto cacio e pepe. The Roman Sauce That Stole Our Hearts

Risotto cacio e pepe. This is the sauce we learned one morning in Rome in one of those plans that I love to organize on every family trip

For me, traveling is not only an opportunity to get to know new places. It is also a perfect opportunity to live together, to enjoy each other's company in a different environment, away from the routine and where the desire to have a good time overcomes jetlag, tiredness and everything that a trip can also entail

That morning we left our apartment in the center of Rome all together and the one with the biggest smile was me. The only one who knew what we were going to do.

We walked through part of the center until we reached Via Giubbonari. There we got into a mess that looked like a store. They were surprised that the plan that day was to go buy sausages, but at the back of the premises, behind a curtain was the back room, with a large window overlooking the street where the kitchen was located. we were in one of the oldest cooking schools in Rome to learn some of the most popular dishes in gastronomy, without a lid or cardboard and in the most natural way possible.

In the group there were people of 4 different nationalities. We spent the morning making pasta and learning the secret of this Cacio e pepe sauce, which is none other than the broth.

After the class, we all sat down at the table with a good wine to talk about life, and about what always unites us: cooking. And By clicking here you can watch the video of this risotto.

Ingredients

For broth:

• 1.5 litres of water
• Coarse salt to taste
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 shallot
• the bark of a piece of Grana Padano

For rice or risotto

• 380 g carnaroli or arborio rice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 100 g grated Grana Padano cheese
• 60 g butter
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 shallots, chopped spring onions
• a little fresh parsley to decorate

Directions

To prepare the broth, cut the rind of a piece of Grana Padano cheese. Peel the shallot in half. Put the shallot and cheese rind in a saucepan or saucepan and add the water, pepper and salt. Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes. After this time, strain the broth and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle them coarsely (we want black pepper bits to remain)

Grate the Grana Padano and set aside.

In a saucepan or satin, put the rice and roast it slightly dry with nothing else. We pulled out of the saucepan and booked. Put a tablespoon of oil and add the garlic and shallots very chopped. Let's saute over medium low heat until soft. Add the rice and take a few turns.

We begin to add the hot broth little by little, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, letting the rice suck the broth until the rice is cooked.

Then add the butter, grated cheese and almost all the pepper, reserving a little for the final decoration.

We serve with a little pepper and some grana padano lacquers on top.

Tips and Tricks

• This sauce is also amazing with pasta and the original is made with pecorino cheese, a typical sheep's cheese from Rome
• Difficulty: easy
• Preparation time: 20 minutes
• Servings: 4