Gluten Free Pasta e Pepe

This Gluten Free Pasta e Pepe is an attempt to do two things.  The first attempt is to learn about Roman food.  That’s right, I said Roman food, not Italian food.  One of my really good friends in Chicago owns restaurants.  He is involved with a new restaurant that will feature Roman recipes.  So I googled Roman recipes to see if I could get a better idea of what it means and its origins.  I am not sure that I really learned what I set out to find.  I do know that in Italy the different regions have different emphases.  So to call it Roman means that it originated in Rome.  I would also guess that the recipes are quite old.  If you want a quick idea of some traditional Roman recipes, this LINK will connect you to some ancient recipes.

The second thing I learned was my exposure to gluten free pasta.  I have mentioned that my wife was encouraged to try gluten free eating to heal her of what ails her.  I, too, have been told that going gluten free would make me feel better.  My wife’s need is a good reason for me to give this gluten free diet a try.  I am also the primary chef in the house so this new diet is a chance to explore a new style of cooking.  I get to learn about the properties of gluten free products and I get the chance to develop recipes adapting them to be gluten free.  

This Gluten Free Pasta e Pepe recipe is one of the most basic and traditional of Roman recipes.  It is a simple recipe with cheese and black pepper.  The origin for the idea was spurred by an eating experience with my friend at a New York City Roman restaurant and being contacted by a brand supporter of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – @theonlyparmesan.  The authentic cheese is from Italy.  They provided me the cheese to work with for this recipe.  If you are familiar with Cacio e Pepe, then you are saying I should have used pecorino romano cheese.  Yes that is the traditional cheese used in this recipe but I adapted it based on this generous gift of cheese that arrived at my doorstep.  I am not exactly sure exactly how to describe the cheese but the flavor was deep.  The flavor was different than the experience I have had with domestic cheeses.  Nothing against domestic cheeses that are wonderful too but the milk and grass for the cows used to make the cheese are Italian.

The cast of characters.

The parmesan reggiano cheese.

The oil and pepper in the skillet.

The gluten free pasta and butter added to the black pepper oil in the skillet.

The Gluten Free Pasta e Pepe plated.