Pecorino Romano Cheese Pasta w/ Black Pepper

Our Momma found an awesome recipe in The Best Of America's Test Kitchen magazine review for 2011!  She made it Sunday and it was a hit!  This recipe is so quick and easy you could have dinner on the table in under 15 minutes flat!!  Our only suggestion would be to add all of the water it calls for and maybe a little extra cream!  You can never go wrong with extra cream right??;)  

Ingredients:
4 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, grated fine(about 2 cups), plus 2 oz grated coarse for serving on top!
1 pound spaghetti (we obviously used fetticini)
Salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream(plus a little extra if needs be:)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper


Place the finely grated Pecorino cheese in a medium bowl.
Set a colander over a large bowl to collect the cooking water of the noodles.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large sauce pan.  Add the pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently until the pasta is al dente.  Drain the pasta into the colander set over the bowl, reserving the water.  Pour 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water into a liquid measuring cup.  Discard the remainder of the water and place the pasta back in the pan.  Slowly whisk 1 cup of the reserved cooking water into the finely grated Pecorino cheese until smooth.  Whisk in the cream, oil and pepper.  Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta, tossing to coat.  Adjust the consistency with the remaining 1/2 cup cooking water and a little more cream as needed.(this is what we would've done)  Serve immediately with the coarsely grated cheese sprinkled on top!  The recipe above serves 4 to 6 so we doubled it! 


Recipe from The Best Of America's Test Kitchen Best Recipes And Reviews 2011


Image by Kara