Worldly Wednesday: Cacio e Pepe

Welcome to my annual recipe crush. Each February I choose a theme, and provide one or two recipes each day for the whole month. This year the theme is Weekly Menu Planning. What are the categories, you ask? We have Sunday Special, Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Worldly Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, Fishy Friday, and Celebrate Saturday.

Whew! Thank goodness Valentine’s Day didn’t fall on Thrifty Thursday! Worldly Wednesday offers more romantic options. And being Valentine’s Day, what is more romantic than a dish from Italy? Amore and all that.

Well, okay, maybe France is a contender, but still . . .  If you’re reading this in the morning, I guarantee you can easily pull this off for dinner tonight.

I considered going the Lady and the Tramp route with spaghetti and meatballs. Love the scene where they are eating the same strand, don’t you? But, been there, done that. Know what I mean? If I’m going to go Italian for V-Day, let’s do something a bit less predictable.

Cacio e pepe is an Internet sensation. This cheese and pepper pasta dish is an Italian-inspired dish that has zillions of variations on the web. I like this version because it goes together quickly for an easy weeknight dinner. And it can be elegant enough for a romantic dinner! Anytime your dinner’s name is in another language, it’s elevated, right? I’ve tried lots of recipes for Cacio e Pepe, and this one by Chrissy Teigen is super easy but interesting enough to be a company meal. I did make some slight modifications that I think she would approve because it’s all about taste. We prefer Asiago, for instance. And her recipe was way too peppery for us for us the first time I made it, so I reduced the amounts to fit our preference. You can see Chrissy Teigen’s original recipe here.

Cacio e Pepe ala Sharon (serves 4)

Sea salt for pasta water

12 ounces dried spaghetti

¼ pound (about 3/4 cup) bacon, finely diced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons (about 4 big cloves) minced garlic

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ cups Asiago cheese, plus more for serving

3 cups baby arugula

In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (it comes in handy), then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisped, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the olive oil, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lemon juice to the skillet, then toss in the drained pasta and toss to coat. Add the Asiago and toss, adding the pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, just to help the cheese coat the pasta.

Add the arugula and toss until it wilts, about 1 minute. Season to taste with additional salt, lots of black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with more Asiago.

For today, I also give you a chocolate dessert that takes very little effort to serve your honey/ies. Have a great night!

Chocolate Soufflés (makes four 6-ounce ramekins)

¼ cup sugar, plus more to coat the soufflé dishes
3 ounces semisweet chocolate [I used 70% cacao]

Pinch salt
1 ½ teaspoons instant coffee or espresso granules
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks, beaten
3 large egg whites
Powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Generously butter four 6-ounce ramekins and sprinkle them with sugar. Place the dishes on a baking sheet.

Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water.

When the chocolate is melted, whisk in the salt, instant coffee, vanilla, and egg yolks.

While the chocolate is melting, whip the egg whites with a mixer until foamy.

With the mixer running, slowly stream in the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites — a few streaks are okay.

Neatly divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins. If any soufflé batter gets on the rims of the dishes, wipe it away with your finger.

Bake until the tops are set and beginning to brown, but the centers jiggle slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Resist the urge to open the oven!

Dust your soufflés with powdered sugar and serve immediately with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

DH’s Rating: 4 Tongues Up

I can’t go wrong with this one now that I modified it. He loves the pepper-cheese-pasta combo with that little bit of bacon and bite of two different peppers. His only criticism ever is that he wishes there were a bit less cheese. But, he eats it all up!