Hetty Liu McKinnon’s “Cacio e Pepe”

This is no ordinary cacio e pepe. It comes with a potent three-peppercorn mix—black, white and Sichuan—which brings pungency, heat, fruitiness and mouth-numbing deliciousness. I got the idea for this boundary bending dish when I was writing an article about the variety of peppercorns found around the world, and how these would taste in different applications. The combination of cacio (sharp pecorino) and pepe (black pepper) is one of the world’s most flawless flavor pairings, but this little tweak, with the addition of white and Sichuan peppercorns, is also quite intriguing. I use whole peppercorns and pound them using my mortar and pestle for the freshest flavor. Everyone has a different level of tolerance to Sichuan peppercorns, so I encourage you to add as much or as little as you can enjoy (without losing feeling in your mouth), adding more black or white pepper if you prefer. When I made this dish for my kids, my son Dash happily ate three-quarters of the bowl before he came running into the kitchen for water—the numbing sometimes takes a little while to set in. The snow peas are a real treat here—finely sliced and cooked briefly, they stay crisp, providing a fresh relief from the spice. Timing is everything in this recipe—start the sauce just as your noodles are almost ready; that way, you can add the noodles straight into the sauce without having to drain them and rinse in cold water (which washes off the starch that helps bind the noodles to the sauce, giving a silky finish).

SERVES 4

1 pound (450 g) wide rice noodles

5 tablespoons (70 g) salted regular

or vegan butter

9 ounces (250 g) snow peas,

trimmed and finely sliced

2 ounces (60 g) pecorino, parmesan

or other hard cheese, finely grated

(preferably on a Microplane)

sea salt

THREE PEPPER MIX

½–1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns,

to your liking

½–1 teaspoon black peppercorns

½–1 teaspoon white peppercorns

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

 To make the three-pepper mix, place all the peppercorns and the salt flakes in a mortar. Pound with a pestle until finely ground.

DIRECTIONS

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, stir well and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions—the noodles should be slightly  undercooked, with more of a bite than al dente. Try to time this so that the noodles can be dragged straight into the sauce. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the noodle cooking water.

About 2 minutes before the noodles will be ready, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons (45 g) of the butter and when it’s foamy, add about 2 teaspoons of the pepper mix, along with the snow peas. Toss for 1–1 ½ minutes, until the snow peas transform from a dull to a vibrant green and the pepper smells fragrant. Pour in half of the reserved noodle cooking water, then add the noodles and the remaining butter. Turn off the heat, add half the pecorino and season with a little sea salt. Toss the noodles until the cheese melts and the noodles are well coated (if they look dry, add some more of the reserved cooking water).

To serve, top with another 1–2 teaspoons of the pepper mix (add as much or as little as you like, according to how spicy you want it) and scatter with the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Tip: To slice the snow peas, stack a few together and slice them diagonally.

Gluten-free

Veganize: use vegan chees

Substitutions:

• three-pepper mix: freshly ground black pepper

• pecorino: ricotta salata, cheddar

• rice noodles: spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine

Credit: from Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds. © 2023 by Hetty Lui McKinnon. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Order the book from Now Serving LA HERE