Ultimate Italian Minimalism: Cacio e Pepe

One of the endlessly fascinating things about Italian cuisine is how a few simple ingredients can come together to make an unbelievably rich, flavorful dish. No where is this more apparent than with Cacio e Pepe, which literally translates to "cheese and pepper" in English.

It has a mere four ingredient (pasta, cracked black pepper, pecorino cheese and butter) and is the pinacle of Italian minimalism. The starchy pasta water brings the butter and cheese together into a velvety sauce, and the fresh-cracked pepper offers a sharp dimension of heat.

Sadly, I don't see Cacio e Pepe on too many Italian menus in Chicago. I'm not sure why this is?

I recently had dinner at Davanti Enoteca on Taylor Street and was pleasantly surprised to see this dish on the menu. Between myself and my two dining companions (my Dad and brother), we ordered a second order of Cacio e Pepe before the first one was even finished. It was that good.

A few years ago, Anthony Bourdain dedicated an entire episode of No Reservation to the Roman way of life. The first stop on his Frederico Fellini/La Dolce Vita-inspired visit to Rome? A local neighborhood place specializing in Cacio e Pepe (begins at around the 2:30 mark).

When I finally conquer one of my cooking resolutions of 2012 - making fresh pasta - Cacio e Pepe will be the first pasta dish I plan to tackle.

What other dishes do you think best embody ultimate Italian minimalism? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Ciao e buon appetito da il Drunken Goat!