Cacio e Pepe
Pasta is there for you when others aren’t. [Photo Credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth and Alex Paternostro
February 2, 2022
The corner clock’s red digits blinked midnight, and Gino wiped flour off his hands. His station in order, he huddled with the other cooks for closing time. He could only guess the subject of today’s Lockup Tune. The men (and one woman) took a deep breath, glanced at each other, then yelled in unison, ”Nighty night, slap me right. I’m Gino’s dough tonight!" before leaning over and baring their buttocks. Each chortled loudly and left with grinning cheeks.
Gino shut off the lights and locked up. After tossing a bag of leaking trash into the dumpster, he hopped on his bicycle and started peddling home. A couple hours ago, he had snuck out of the kitchen to peek onto the restaurant’s patio. Just like last time, Gino muttered. As unexpectedly freezing air buffeted his body, he pedaled with his head down, his teeth chattering, and his fingers numb.
Gino slammed into his front door Smack! then fumbled with the lock until he dropped his keys. Their dull, irregular glister evaded him under the shifting clouds. It took a few shaky minutes for him to finally get inside, where he slipped on a crinkled envelope that had been shoved underfoot. After staring at the ceiling while catching his breath, Gino felt around for blood or tenderness. Finding none, he got up.
Gino ignored the mail now warming under the radiator. There would be a card and a check, both signed by his father’s mistress-cum-secretary. Tears streamed down Gino’s face, some from the fall, the rest from the biting wind. He pulled off his shoes, got a fluorescent bulb buzzing, and stepped towards the kitchen sink. The tap’s lukewarm flow soothed his face and loosened his fingers.
Gino shut off the water, dried his hands thoroughly, and safely flipped on a powerstrip. Multi-colored dots soon lit up a little Christmas tree. Its few ornaments were fastened on every other branch but gleamed prettily. Underneath, an electric train got puffing. Its cute engine emitted real bursts of steam before repeating Gino’s four favorite words: “Pasta! Pasta! (pause) Pasta! Pasta!” Benno had built and programmed the toy when kids still enjoyed simpler things. I love pasta, Gino thought.
Flour powdered the counter whilst wind rattled Gino’s windows. Up in the air, whir and plop, the dough sang music to the kitchen, and Gino listened. Soon, though, the pasta was rolled, and Gino sighed.
“Merry Christmas,” he muttered with a sunken head.
“Knock! Knock! (pause) Knock! Knock!” went a rap on the door.
Gino, visibly shaken, looked up and asked, quavering, “Who’s there?”
“It’s Nonna Rossa and Benno! We know it’s late, but we were just walking past and thought we’d drop in, it being a holiday and all. Can you let us in, please?”
“Oh, sure,” Gino exclaimed as he rushed to unlock the door.
He tripped over a shoe, but that was alright because soon enough, Nonna Rossa and Benno swept into the room. Each grandparent gave Gino kisses and a pat on the back. Then, while Benno was steering Gino towards the kitchen to boil the water, together, Nonna Rossa turned off that ghastly overhead bulb and lit some lamps. It was still too dark, so she crossed the old-beamed room to toss some logs into the fireplace.
In no time, flames formed graceful silhouettes against the warming walls and wooden rafters. Dotted with Christmas twinkles, the family’s happiness told the end to this holiday tale, replete with more pasta than Gino could have ever eaten, alone. All those noodles were sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano, of course, along with hugs and grateful joy.
Serves 1
Total time
10 minutes
Equipment:
butter knife, large pot, 10-inch sauté pan, spider, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, tasting fork and spoon, microplane zester
Tableware:
warm bowl, utensils
Ingredients
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Coarsely ground black pepper, as needed
Parmigiano reggiano, as needed
Water, as needed
Kosher salt, as needed
Instructions
Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients. Prepare 1 x Gino’s Fresh Pasta Dough, forming noodles about ½ inch wide and 12 inches long.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add a palmful of salt. Taste the water, then adjust as desired.
Heat the pan over medium-low, and add the butter, white wine vinegar, and a generous pinch of black pepper.
Cook the pasta until almost al dente, or around 1½ minutes. Taste a noodle to check.
10 seconds before the pasta is done, turn the heat under the sauté pan to high.
Use a spider to transfer the noodles to the bubbling butter mixture, then pour in 2 tbsps of the cooking water.
Toss, and mix with a wooden spoon until evenly coated and neither soupy nor dry.
Turn off the heat, grate over about ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano, and mix once more.
Taste, and adjust if necessary.
Plate, then garnish with a pinch of black pepper and more cheese.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 525 Total Fat 16.4g (21%) Saturated Fat 9.5g (48%) Cholesterol 194mg (65%) Sodium 65mg (3%) Total Carbohydrate 74.9g (27%) Dietary Fiber 3.3g (12%) Total Sugars 0.5g Protein 17.1g Vitamin D 15mcg (77%) Calcium 39mg (3%) Iron 4mg (20%) Potassium 205mg (4%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
Alex Paternostro is a writer and food photographer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated with honors in English from Princeton University. You can learn more about him here.
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