Hello, hello! Welcome back to another post on my food blog, where I talk about one of the most important things in life, FOOD. This post is dedicated to one of my original Korean-Italian Fusion recipes from last year that is probably the simplest thing you’ll ever make.
Introducing.. my Cacio E Gochugaru (Cheese and Korean Gochugaru flakes or Chili Pepper flakes). It’s my Korean spin-off of the Italian classic, Cacio e Pépe. Let’s dive in, shall we?
What is Cacio e Pepe?
Cacio e Pépe is a classic Italian dish from the city of Rome. Cacio e Pépe means “cheese and pepper” in Italian. It tastes and looks exactly how the name describes it: a creamy and cheesy pasta with a kick of black pepper.
Simplicity is key for this dish, as it only requires the most basic of ingredients: freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, and pasta. They say that “rough-surfaced” pasta is recommended to make the sauce coat well, which makes perfect sense. So I like using some quality spaghetti noodles for my recipe.
And how do you make it?
The way this dish is prepared is by cooking the pasta in salted boiling water, and then pouring some of the water into the grated pecorino cheese, off the heat, and mixing it together with freshly ground black pepper. Some gung-ho Italian chefs swear by toasting the pepper first before mixing it in.. so that’s a technique that I’ve adopted over time as well.
Side note: If you want to just mix the pepper in with the cheese before you add the pasta water in, that’s completely okay! Whatever floats your boat. (Just know that toasting it imparts a certain flavor that you cannot obtain from just simply mixing it in)
Variations
There have been many variations to this classic dish since it originated. Some people like to add a little bit of pork, like:
- Pancetta or Bacon
Others like to add a bit of protein to make it a wholesome meal, like:
- Chicken or Beef or Turkey
- Seafood (shrimp, crab, or lobster)
You could swap out the cheese for something like:
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or regular Parmesan (read more about it here)
You could even add some greens to give it some color, like:
- Fresh Basil leaves
- Fresh Chopped Parsley
If you’re accustomed to Asian garnishes, then maybe even some fresh chopped scallions.
Whatever the case, it still remains that this dish is so simplistic and it allows for such versatility in a way that you can prepare it to meet your family’s taste buds.
What equipment do I need to make it?
As I’ve said before, this dish is a spin-off of the classic Cacio e Pépe, an extremely simple dish to make. So all you need is the following:
- Large pot (for the pasta)
- Box grater/microplane (for the cheese)
- Large 12″ non-stick pan
- Tongs and Ladle
Cacio E Gochugaru is a delightful dish to eat. It’s really not too heavy and you could definitely pair it well with certain wines or other dishes as well. The cheese and gochugaru flakes are such a unique and heavenly match.
It just makes perfect sense if we’re accepting black pepper as the gold standard of this type of pasta preparation. Why not gochugaru? Toasted gochugaru flakes impart such a delicious and remarkable flavor that complements this cheesy pasta well! I’d recommend giving it a try. Best of all? It only takes like 10-15 minutes of your time! So what are we waiting for? Let’s get it!
Spaghetti – I used spaghetti noodles to coat the sauce well (I used Barilla Spaghetti for this recipe, but you can use any dry store-bought one or even fresh spaghetti!)
Pecorino Romano – I used the classic Pecorino Romano cheese that’s traditionally incorporated in a cacio e pépe (you may substitute with Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is amazingly delicious as well) You can find them both in any local supermarket that sells cheeses. (BUT: I’d suggest buying quality cheese from an Italian supermarket, like Marino’s Supermarket or even Whole Foods)
Gochugaru flakes – STAR ingredient and essentially my Korean twist on this classic cacio e pépe dish to give it a nice kick (buy it in any Korean supermarket, like H-Mart… or even Whole Foods!)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper – I add just a little pinch of black pepper to give it a nice kick
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – To prevent peppers from burning, and to provide a nice fat component for the noodles to soak in
Here’s a list of other Fusion recipes you may love:
Cacio E Gochugaru
A twist on the classic traditional Cacio E Pepe with Korean Gochugaru flakes. Introducing.. my Cacio E Gochugaru! Simple, classic, and yummy!
Ingredients
- 8 oz Spaghetti, cooked 2 min before al dente (may use dried store-bought ones or fresh pasta)
- 1.5-2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano, for sauce plus more for garnish (may substitute with Parmigiano-Reggiano or regular Parmesan)
- 1-2 tbsp Gochugaru, for sauce plus more for garnish
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (about 1 tsp), for sauce plus for garnish (optional)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Boil some water in a large pot for the pasta. Throw in your pasta and cook it until just 2 minutes before al dente (according to your specific package instructions). If using fresh pasta, cook for about 2-3 minutes or until they float to the surface (no more than 4 minutes).
In a separate bowl, grate 1.5-2 cups of fresh Pecorino Romano cheese (the more the merrier).
Heat up a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of gochugaru flakes plus a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Toast it for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, add a drizzle of olive oil (about 2 tbsp). Take about 3/4 of a ladle of the pasta water and add it to the pan. Turn down the heat to med-low and simmer.
Take your bowl with the cheese and add about 1/2 ladle of pasta water and mix that up until a nice paste is formed.
Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta into the pan. Then add in the cheese mixture and stir vigorously until all of the noodles are coated with the creaminess of the cheese. [see “notes” for adjustments]
Plate it up and top it off with some more grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese and some gochugaru + black pepper. Enjoy! Yummmy!
Notes
You may add more pasta water, as needed, to loosen the sauce and make it thinner if you’d like. Add more cheese or even a knob of butter to make it creamier. It’s best if you work quickly after adding the cheese so as not to cook the cheese & form clumps (but it’s okay if it’s not perfect.. still tastes awesome!)
