Edit History

I used ATK recipe and saw it on the "Alex French Guy" youtube show. 

 

If aged cheese is melted, it will clump together. 

 

Cacio e pepe  - pasta with just percorino romano and black pepper - melts aged cheese with pasta water. 

 

The claim is that it wont' clump because the starch content of pasta water will act as a thickener (emulsifier) keeping the water and oil separate so no clumping. 

 

The trick is to use very little water to cook the starch heavy pasta so that the water is super starchy. 

 

I did just that under the ATK recipe and my cheese clumped once it was melted with hot pasta water. I grated the cheese too. 

 

For anyone having this problem, how did you resolve it? Or did you have this problem?

 

I'm thinking maybe modernism or industrialization etc. maybe changed our processed foods so pasta maybe has less starch now than in the past or our Percornio Romano changed and is now processed differently? 

 

I think this recipe might have worked in the past but maybe not in the present??? 

 

Oh. I used Parmigiano Reggiano and not the Pecornio. I don't believe this should make a difference as Pecornio has just a stronger animal aroma to brighten very simple ingredients. 

 

EDIT 

 

I tried NickRey's method (below) and IT WORKED!!!  

 

The clumping happens because I added water to the cheese following ATK recipe before it goes into the pasta. The water + cheese = clumping. 

 

So I toasted/bloomed the black pepper in a skillet and then put the pasta (al dente) on the skillet with pasta water on medium heat. 

 

I now add the shredded cheese in parts into the pasta in the skillet and stir. 

 

and - AMAZING - distribution of cheese with no clumping and video perfect cacio e pepe 

I used ATK recipe and saw it on the "Alex French Guy" youtube show. 

 

If aged cheese is melted, it will clump together. 

 

Cacio e pepe  - pasta with just percorino romano and black pepper - melts aged cheese with pasta water. 

 

The claim is that it wont' clump because the starch content of pasta water will act as a thickener (emulsifier) keeping the water and oil separate so no clumping. 

 

The trick is to use very little water to cook the starch heavy pasta so that the water is super starchy. 

 

I did just that under the ATK recipe and my cheese clumped once it was melted with hot pasta water. I grated the cheese too. 

 

For anyone having this problem, how did you resolve it? Or did you have this problem?

 

I'm thinking maybe modernism or industrialization etc. maybe changed our processed foods so pasta maybe has less starch now than in the past or our Percornio Romano changed and is now processed differently? 

 

I think this recipe might have worked in the past but maybe not in the present??? 

 

Oh. I used Parmigiano Reggiano and not the Pecornio. I don't believe this should make a difference as Pecornio has just a stronger animal aroma to brighten very simple ingredients. 

I used ATK recipe and saw it on the "Alex French Guy" youtube show. 

 

If old cheese is melted, it will clump together. 

 

Cacio e pepe  - pasta with just percorino romano and black pepper - melts aged cheese with pasta water. 

 

The claim is that it wont' clump because the starch content of pasta water will act as a thickener (emulsifier) keeping the water and oil separate so no clumping. 

 

The trick is to use very little water to cook the starch heavy pasta so that the water is super starchy. 

 

I did just that under the ATK recipe and my cheese clumped once it was melted with hot pasta water. I grated the cheese too. 

 

For anyone having this problem, how did you resolve it? Or did you have this problem?

 

I'm thinking maybe modernism or industrialization etc. maybe changed our processed foods so pasta maybe has less starch now than in the past or our Percornio Romano changed and is now processed differently? 

 

I think this recipe might have worked in the past but maybe not in the present??? 

 

Oh. I used Parmigiano Reggiano and not the Pecornio. I don't believe this should make a difference as Pecornio has just a stronger animal aroma to brighten very simple ingredients.