Black Pepper Pasta Recipes

PASTA WITH PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan, then add the sliced peppers, season with fine salt and freshly ground pepper, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently.
• After 15 minutes stir in the the onion and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add a touch of water if needed.
• When the onion and the peppers are done, add the olives, the balsamic vinegar and the garlic, give a good stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your likings, you might want to add an extra pinch of salt or more black pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salty water to the boil and cook your pasta until al dente, according to the package's directions. Keep in mind to reserve some of the starchy cooking water when you drain the pasta (about ½ cup should be fine).
• Add the pasta to the pan along with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some of the pasta cooking water (add it gradually until needed). Addd the basil leaves and toss well until the pasta looks well coated and moist.
• Divide the pasta with peppers into 4 bowls, garnish with a few extra basil leaves and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese if you don't keep it vegan. Enjoy!

CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• In a pan just wide enough to hold the pasta, place enough water to fill the pan 1 inch from the bottom. Season the water with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Spread the pasta in the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta water to reduce; do not add more, as you want the starchy water to be minimal when the remaining ingredients are added.
• Meanwhile, add the coarse black pepper to a separate small pan over medium heat. Toast a minute or two until fragrant.
• Once the pasta is al dente and the pasta water has reduced so only a slight coating remains at the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and add the toasted ground black pepper and Pecorino-Romano. Stir and toss vigorously until both ingredients are well incorporated into the pasta. Toss in the olive oil and season with salt.
• Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and garnish with more black pepper, Pecorino-Romano and extra-virgin olive oil.

PASTA WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Prepare the pasta: Mound durum flour on a clean work surface. Make a well in the center. Crack eggs into the well. Add 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. With a fork, whisk the eggs, slowly incorporating the flour. Slowly drizzle the water, one tablespoon at a time, into the egg mixture. When the dough holds together, begin kneading the dough to work in the remainder of the flour. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• Dust a baking sheet with semolina; set aside. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 1/2 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough crosswise into slices 1/16 inch thick. Using your thumb, press the slices into coinlike pieces. They should be slightly larger than a quarter. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; set aside for 30 minutes to dry.
• In a large saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add the reserved pasta, and cook until al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain; reserving stock. In a large saute pan, heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups reserved stock. Bring to a boil, stirring gently to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low, and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and parsley; stir to combine. Let simmer for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH PECORINO AND BLACK PEPPER

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta; return to pot.
• To pasta in pot, add 1 cup reserved pasta water. Gradually add 1 cup Pecorino, tossing constantly with tongs until cheese is melted; add pepper. Toss to coat pasta lightly; if desired, gradually add a little more pasta water to thin. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and serve immediately.

CACIO E PEPE (CHEESE AND PEPPER PASTA)

Steps:

• Bring a 12-quart pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups of cooking water.
• Return pasta and cooking water to the pot over low heat. Add 3 1/2 cups Pecorino Romano cheese, butter, and pepper. Stir until cheese has melted and formed a creamy sauce, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
• Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

BLACK PEPPER PASTA

Steps:

• Mound 3 1/2 cups flour in the center of a large board. Make a well in the middle and add eggs and pepper. Using a fork, beat eggs and pepper until thoroughly combined. Then begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated. Keep working the dough until all the flour is incorporated.
• Start kneading the dough using the palms of both hands. Once dough is a cohesive mass, remove from the board, and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly flour the board, and continue kneading until dough is elastic and slightly sticky, 8 to 10 minutes more. Wrap in plastic, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, at room temperature, before rolling or shaping as directed.

CRACKED BLACK PEPPER PASTA

Steps:

• Clean and dry a few coat hangers to dry the pasta on.
• Into the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, eggs, oil, and black pepper. Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Put the mixture onto your work surface and knead it lightly for a few minutes until it is smooth. It should be quite stiff. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• To make in a pasta machine: Take a quarter of the pasta and pat it into a flat rectangle with your hands. Feed it through the widest setting on the pasta machine. Fold that piece in thirds into a rectangle shape and feed it through again. After you have fed it through on the initial setting, there is no need to keep folding it, just keep feeding it through, making the setting narrower each time.
• If the pasta rips while using the pasta machine, don't worry, just fold it back into a rectangle and feed it through the widest setting again. A rip may mean that there is an obstruction in the pasta machine between the rollers. If that is the case, just open the machine to the widest setting and let whatever was stuck in there fall out.
• If the pasta sticks to the machine, just flour the machine a little to help ease the pasta through.
• When you have fed the pasta through on the narrowest setting, sprinkle the top with a little flour and fold it in half, short end to short end, then again, and again and again until you have a smaller rectangle. With the folded edge facing you, cut vertical strips about 1/2-inch wide along the width of the pasta, then carefully take one strip, unfold it completely and hang it on the coat hanger.
• Repeat with the rest of the pasta, using a quarter piece of the dough each time.
• To make the pasta by hand: Dust the work surface very lightly with flour. Take a quarter of the dough and put it on the work surface. Pat the dough with your hands into a flat rectangle. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll it out until it is a very long and thin rectangle.
• My rectangle was 5 to 6 inches wide and very, very long. The pasta is ready when it is so thin that if you lift it up and put your hand behind it, you can see your hand through it.
• Sprinkle the top with a little flour and fold it in half, short end to short end, then again, and again and again until you have a smaller rectangle. With the folded edge facing you, cut vertical strips about 1/2-inch wide along the width of the pasta, then carefully take one strip, unfold it completely and hang it on the coat hanger.
• Repeat with the rest of the pasta, using a quarter piece of the dough each time.
• Once all of the pasta is hung, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, in one or two batches depending on how big your pan is, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked through. Using a pair of tongs, remove the pasta from the pan and, drain in a colander. If cooking the pasta in batches keep the first batch warm while cooking the rest.
• Once all the pasta is cooked and drained, drizzle with some of the olive oil, sprinkle a few basil leaves over the top and serve immediately.
• This is delicious used in the Creamy Pancetta Sauce with Mushrooms and Parmesan.

MUSHROOM AND BLACK PEPPER PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the linguine and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set the pasta and pasta water aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms have browned, about 3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the cream and Parmesan, then bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and the pasta water and toss together, allowing the sauce to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the black pepper and toss to distribute. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

SPAGHETTI WITH PECORINO ROMANO AND BLACK PEPPER

Steps:

• Toast peppercorns in a dry small skillet over moderately high heat, swirling skillet, until fragrant and peppercorns begin to jump, 2 to 3 minutes. Coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or wrap in a kitchen towel and press on peppercorns with bottom of a heavy skillet.
• Cook spaghetti in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
• Fill a large glass or ceramic bowl with some hot water to warm bowl. Just before spaghetti is finished cooking, drain bowl but do not dry.
• Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta quickly in a colander (do not shake off excess water) and add to warm pasta bowl. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese and 3 tablespoons cooking water evenly over spaghetti and toss quickly. If pasta seems dry, toss with some additional cooking water.
• Divide pasta among 4 plates, then sprinkle with pepper and 2 tablespoons cheese (total). Serve immediately with additional cheese on the side.

BLACK PEPPER PASTA

Steps:

• Make a mound of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs, oil and pepper.
• Using a fork, beat together the eggs, oil and pepper and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well.
• As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape.
• Do not worry that this initial phase looks messy.
• The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.
• Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands.
• Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any leftover crusty bits.
• Discard these bits.
• Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes.
• The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.
• Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board when necessary.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.