Farro e Pepe

By Samin Nosrat

Farro e Pepe
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(1,603)
Comments
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While cacio e pepe, the classic Roman dish, is simple — made with only pasta and its cooking water; cacio, or Pecorino Romano; and abundant freshly ground black pepper — it’s not always easy to make. The trick to getting a thick, creamy sauce lies in combining the cheese and pepper with starchy pasta water in just the right way; this usually requires a lot of erratic stirring and sweat. This version bucks tradition in favor of simplicity and, well, farro. The technique for the cheese paste comes from Flavio de Maio, a master of cucina Romana and producer of one of Rome’s most beloved bowls of cacio e pepe. Simply blend grated cheese and a little cold water with freshly ground pepper until they come together into a creamy paste. Then toss a spoonful or two into just-cooked farro and watch it melt like butter to coat the grains in a layer of salt, pepper, richness and tang. The farro’s chewy, satisfying texture is a perfect foil for the creaminess of the sauce. Keep the leftover paste in the fridge — stir a spoonful into grits, toss it with boiled green beans and, of course, use it for a bowl of cacio e pepe. Use the technique with other hard cheeses: Asiago, Parmesan and even clothbound Cheddar make for fantastic versions.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Sea salt
  • 2cups semi-pearled or pearled farro (about 13½ ounces)
  • 7½ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about 1½ cups)
  • 1¼teaspoons coarsely grated black pepper, plus more for serving
  • ¼cup cold water, plus more if needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

345 calories; 10 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 478 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt until the water is as salty as the sea. Add farro, and cook until al dente, about 15 to 18 minutes. Set a colander in the sink.

  2. Step 2

    In the meantime, place pecorino and pepper in a medium bowl, and add ¼ cup cold water. Use an immersion blender to combine into a thick, smooth paste. Add more cold water if needed, one tablespoon at a time, to encourage blending. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a food processor for this step.

  3. Step 3

    When the farro is cooked, reserve 1½ cups cooking water; transfer farro to colander to drain, then return to pot. Add ¾ cup pecorino paste and ½ cup reserved cooking water, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until cheese melts and coats farro with a glossy sheen. Taste, and add cooking water and more pecorino paste to taste until farro is the consistency of a loose risotto. If farro is properly seasoned but too thick, add warm tap water instead of salted cooking water to loosen.

  4. Step 4

    Serve immediately, garnished with more pepper. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pecorino paste for up to 1 week. Use on pasta, farro or rice, or spread on toast.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,603 user ratings
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Comments

Andy

This is delicious. I found that if you grate the cheese with a microplane grater, it melts almost instantly and there's no need for the immersion blender step - just cook the farro, throw in the grated cheese and pepper, stir and thin with cooking water as needed.

Jeremy S.

After several arguments with a box grater and Kirkland's pecorino/Romano I turned to my food processor for assistance in grinding cheese for caciao e Pepe (the drawback of living in Montana). The second time I employed its assistance I realized how much sweat and elbow grease the food processor would save in making the sauce. The last time I made it, i tried substituted farro for pasta and it was awesome.

Linda Cavallero

if you cook the farro as if making risotto a' la Bittman (saute` onion, add wine, saute` farro, add broth...) and then add previously sauteed vegetables (artichokes especially) with some grated cheese, you have a fabulous farro risotto that never gets too soft. make it ahead and reheat in micro; it's easy and great as a one dish meal or accompaniment to meat or fish.

Ian C

I made this recipe and topped it with roasted butternut squash. The salty and sweet of the two items mixed perfectly for a winter dinner.

Eric

This tastes wonderful, but the whole process of making a cheese paste with an immersion blender is preposterous. There's just simply no reason for it. And it tends to make the cheese extremely stringy and sticky when melted. Just toss the cheese in, as you would when making risotto.

sarah blair

So easy. So good. Made farro in rice cooker. Otherwise exactly as written. Love the nutty of the farrow with this traditional dish. And possibly the only recipe on nyt that actually takes less time than it estimates!!

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