Looking through varieties of all the traditional Italian dishes on the internet is a similar experience to wandering among fascinating artefacts in an art gallery in which visitors are dazzled by the endless array of beautiful exhibits. Among all these dishes, Cacio e Pepe is especially appealing to me because the simplicity of the ingredients and recipe lends itself to be one of the basics of all Italian dishes; to be able to master Cacio e Pepe allows one to accomplish several other dishes that build upon this essential dish.

Cacio e Pepe dates back to the Roman Empire. Being one of the most ancient dishes of Italian cuisine, Cacio e Pepe has been a popular meal, in particular among Roman shepherds. In Roman times, especially in the months of spring and summer, Roman shepherds would camp out with their sheep grazing through the hills of the Apennine Mountains. Prior to departure, the shepherds would bring a type of dried homemade pasta called tonnarelli along with them. During their journey over the hills and mountains, milk would be collected and made into a cheese called cacio or pecorino. In need of food, they would boil the pasta they carried along and, subsequently, make the signature cheese sauce. The secret of Cacio e Pepe lies in the creamy cheese sauce. The fresh cheese, cacio or pecorino, along with black pepper, were grated into some portion of the pasta cooking water. Similar to many Roman dishes, an abundance of black pepper is necessary for this dish. Despite being a quick and simple dish, the flavours of the ingredients – starch from the spaghetti, grated cheese, and black pepper – integrates in the right way to become a delicious and substantial meal. It is a significant dish in Italian culture because it exhibits an elegant taste with the use of minimal ingredients, which was a huge advantage during times when people experienced troubles such as scarcity of food.

Although in these days many restaurants use spaghetti for Cacio e Pepe, the most traditional and authentic choice of pasta would be tonnarelli. It has a very similar appearance to spaghetti--long and skinny. However, the dough making process involves the use of eggs, which gives rise to the chewy texture of the dish.

The key to the serving of Cacio e Pepe is that it needs to be consumed immediately. Otherwise, the creamy cheese sauce eventually thickens, resulting in a dense, coagulated mess and losing its original taste and texture. With the simplicity of the ingredients involved and the basic cooking procedures, Cacio e Pepe is a shining example of a healthy, classic Italian dish.

The project has been a pleasurable experience. One advantage of making this dish is that most of the ingredients are very accessible, preventing potential stress during cooking preparation. One exception is dried tonnarelli. I could not find any dried tonnarelli in nearby supermarkets and could not make handmade tonnarelli due to not having the proper cooking equipment. Therefore, although I am aware that tonnarelli would be the most authentic choice of pasta for this dish, I had no other choice other than to replace it with common spaghetti. Another adjustment I made was that Pecorino cheese went out of stock at the supermarket, so I added Parmesan, a common replacement for many similar recipes online. The cooking process went smoothly, although boiling spaghetti and shrimp simultaneously requires caution. The final tasting of the end product was definitely the most satisfying part of the project. I have not had much experience cooking Italian dishes prior to this project, but it has inspired me to explore further into Italian cuisine. I look forward to making more Italian dishes in the future.