Nonnas Pasta With Eggs Pecorino And Sage Recipes

PASTA WITH PECORINO AND PEPPER

Steps:

• Place the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and crush them until you have a mixture of coarse and fine bits. (You can also grind them in a small food mill or coffee grinder.) Set aside.
• Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package until al dente. Ladle 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into a glass measuring cup and reserve it. Drain the pasta quickly in a colander and return the pasta to the pot with a lot of the pasta water still dripping.
• Working quickly, with the heat on very low, toss the pasta with 1/2 cup of the grated Pecorino, the crushed peppercorns, cream, butter, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing constantly. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking water. Off the heat, toss in the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino. Serve immediately with a big bowl of extra grated Pecorino for sprinkling.

NONNA'S PASTA WITH EGGS, PECORINO AND SAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Chop onion, garlic and sage together until fairly fine. Generously film a 12-inch sauté pan with olive oil, and set over medium heat. Stir in onion mixture, and sprinkle with red pepper, salt and black pepper. Sauté until wilted, about 3 or 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and cover.
• Drop pasta in boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until slightly underdone.
• Scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. As pasta gets close to being done, put the sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once it is warmed up, break the eggs into the pan, and cook a few minutes, until white is barely opaque.
• Meanwhile, drain pasta in colander. Turn into pan with eggs, and toss for a few minutes over medium-low heat until the eggs cling to the pasta. Add a little reserved pasta water to loosen it up, if necessary. Taste for seasoning; be generous with black pepper. Serve in heated bowls, passing cheese at the table.

SILKY SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH PANCETTA, PEPPER AND PECORINO

Steps:

• Using a nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron pan, heat the pancetta over medium. Let cook, shaking the pan, until the fat renders out and the pancetta browns all over, 3 to 10 minutes, depending on how large the cubes are.
• If the pan looks oily, pour (or spoon) off any excess grease. Add butter to the pan and let melt. Reduce heat to low.
• Beat the eggs and salt in a medium bowl until well mixed but not frothy. Pour into the skillet with the pancetta and, using a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, scramble the eggs until they are just set, 2 to 4 minutes. Take care that the eggs don't brown, lowering the heat further if necessary.
• Divide the eggs onto two plates and shower pepper generously over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and serve at once.