By Nick Risidi, of Amici Ristorante in East Parade, Keighley, who revisits his Italian roots for another taste of the Mediterranean

MAY is a transitional month, as far as the seasons go, in Italy.

It’s the start of the summer weather, with hot sunny days, the likes of which we can only dream of when it feels like we’re trapped in a season of never-ending spring showers here in the UK.

In Italy, as the weather gets warmer, meals get lighter, with diners opting for simple pasta dishes over warming hearty stews.

It may not quite be summer here in Yorkshire just yet, but there’s no harm in getting in the spirit a little prematurely.

There is something so fascinating about preparing dishes that have been around for a long time, knowing that what you are preparing is a little bit of history dating back to times when cooking processes were a million miles from what they are now.

Cacio e pepe is one of those Italian dishes that has stood the test of time but there’s something interesting that sets it apart from other dishes.

With almost all Italian dishes, recipes can vary greatly. Sometimes different regions will prepare dishes in a way that is preferred locally, or with local speciality ingredients, or different families will have vastly different preferences. And as recipes are handed down through generations, different people will be brought-up to make particular dishes in particular ways.

However, cacio e pepe is not one of those dishes. The beauty of cacio e pepe is the simplicity of the dish, and for a recipe with so few ingredients, it really goes to show how perfect it must be to have remained the same all these years. It has even enjoyed a massive surge in popularity in recent years.

Cacio e pepe is a pasta dish which translates as cheese and pepper – and that’s all it is. It’s that simple. A pasta dish with just three ingredients – pasta, cheese and pepper. But while it is simple, cheap and relatively easy to put together, that doesn’t mean that people don’t get the dish wrong.

First of all, there’s the pasta. Cacio e pepe typically consists of long pasta thicker than spaghetti, like pici or bucatini. Next there’s the pepper. For the best results you can toast peppercorns before crushing them yourself, which really brings out the flavour in the dish. Finally, there’s the cheese. Traditionally pecorino romano cheese is used. The cheese needs to be as finely grated as possible and used as close to room temperature as it can be.

RECIPE

CACIO E PEPE

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 tsp black peppercorns

400g bucatini

160g pecorino romano

Method:

1. Begin by toasting the peppercorns. Add two tsp peppercorns to a very hot, dry pan. Allow to cook until the pepper is fragrant and then roughly crush the peppercorns, ready for the pasta.

2. Fill a shallow but wide pan with salted water, place on the hob and bring to the boil. When the water is ready add the bucatini to the pan. Cook the pasta in accordance with the instructions on the packet, subtracting a little time if you prefer your pasta al dente. Stir occasionally during cooking. Five minutes into the cooking time remove 250ml of the pasta water and place in a large bowl, set to one side to cool. When the pasta is ready drain and set the pasta to one side.

3. The pecorino romano needs to be as close to room temperature as possible before use, as well as being as finely grated as possible. Take the room temperature, finely-grated cheese, and almost all of the pepper, and place in a large bowl. Gradually add a little pasta water to the cheese and mix to form a paste, before adding a little more and forming a sauce with a similar consistency to a béchamel sauce. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and toss well, adding a little more water, to ensure that each piece of pasta is well coated – you shouldn’t need to use all the water to achieve this. This process can take a little while but the sauce will come together and coat the pasta evenly if you keep mixing.

4. To serve, take pre-warmed bowls and divide the pasta evenly between them. Sprinkle with leftover pepper. Top tip: If you enjoy cheese pasta, you can finish the dish with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Serve while hot.