The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 880

creamy mac and cheese recipe, on the other hand, extra richness is not a problem; see here) As with cacio e pepe, I like to add a ton of black pepper to my sauce The spiciness complements the cheese nicely The one issue that I’ve had with the sauce is the same one that always crops up when translating restaurant pasta dishes into recipes that work in the home kitchen: your home pasta water, used to cook just a single batch of pasta, is not as starchy as a restaurant’s pasta water, which gets starchier and starchier as service progresses This extra starch helps bind the emulsion Without it, the cheese can quite easily break out, turning into a clumpy, gluey mess To compensate for this, I add just the barest amount of cornstarch to the grated cheese before stirring it into the pasta Wonderful on its own, this light and creamy sauce is also the perfect backdrop for any number of seasonal vegetables or aromatics; see the variations that follow LIGHTER FETTUCINE ALFREDO SERVES 4 2 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated (about 1 cup), plus extra for serving ½ teaspoon cornstarch 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks Freshly ground black pepper ½ cup heavy cream 1 pound fresh fettucine 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley Kosher salt Combine the cheese with the cornstarch in a small bowl, tossing to coat Add the butter, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the cream Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 1½ minutes Drain, reserving cups of the cooking liquid Return the pasta to the pot and add the cheese mixture and 1 cup of the cooking liquid Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes Thin to the desired texture with more pasta cooking water Stir in the herbs and season to taste with salt and more pepper Serve immediately, passing extra cheese at the table  ... reserving cups of the cooking liquid Return the pasta to the pot and add the cheese mixture and 1 cup of the cooking liquid Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes... Combine the cheese with the cornstarch in a small bowl, tossing to coat Add the butter, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the cream Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil Add the pasta to the boiling... medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes Thin to the desired texture with more pasta cooking water Stir in the herbs and season to taste with salt and more