Asparagus Peas And Cucumber Cacio E Pepe Recipes

ASPARAGUS, PEAS, AND CUCUMBER "CACIO E PEPE"

Steps:

• Boil water in a small pot and salt it heavily. Prepare an ice bath with a fine-mesh sieve set over it to contain your peas. Add peas to boiling water and boil until crisp-tender and bright green. Strain and transfer to ice bath. Trim ends off cucumbers and shave into long ribbons using a Y-peeler. Add to ice bath to crisp up.
• Preheat broiler, with a rack about 4 inches from heating element. Using Y-peeler, peel asparagus from root end to tip. When you get down to where you can't peel anymore, trim off ends and discard, and transfer peelings to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle asparagus with a bit of oil and season with salt and lots of black pepper. Toss well to coat. Broil until just charred, about 4 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine lemon juice and oil. Grate garlic into mixture. Drain and pat dry cucumbers and add to bowl, along with arugula, broiled asparagus, and peas. Transfer to serving plates or a platter. Grate a fluffy cloud of both cheeses over the top and stir everything together before taking your first bite.

CACIO E PEPE CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper over medium heat, just until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Dump the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Pecorino, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.
• Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain 5/8-inch round pastry tip. Pipe the dough in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4 inch high (1 inch apart) onto the prepared baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use two spoons to scoop the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Brush the top of each puff lightly with the egg wash, and sprinkle with Pecorino, salt, and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown outside but still soft inside. Serve hot.

SPAGHETTI CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Scoop out some of the cooking water and reserve. Drain spaghetti.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add spaghetti and Pecorino Romano cheese. Ladle in 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water; stir until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Add more cooking water until sauce coats spaghetti, about 1 minute more.