Romano vs Parmesan in Cacio e Pepe?

Question

I've tried making Cacio e Pepe a few times, using a recipe from America's Test Kitchen. In Cacio e Pepe, you boil pasta in a limited amount of water, then mix some of the hot starchy water with grated pecorino Romano cheese. The cheese melts/dissolves in the water to form a cheesy liquid which is poured over the pasta.

I've had good luck doing this with Romano, even using domestic cow's milk Romano. But one time I was short on Romano, and tried using about 1/4th Romano and 3/4ths imported Parmesan. When I added the starchy water, some of the cheese dissolved--the Romano, I assume--but most of it coagulated into a gooey, stretchy mass.

What is the difference between Romano and Parmesan, that would make them behave so differently when mixed with hot, starchy water? Are there other similar cheeses--asiago for example--that would work well in this recipe?

Asked by Kenster

Answer

Pecorino Romano is a heavily salted, aged cheese. As a result, it tends not to "melt", just as feta, haloumi, and queso fresco tend not to melt (all are also heavily salted cheeses). Presumably mizithra or ricotta salata would work equally well in the ATK recipe, although they wouldn't taste the same.

If you inadvertently purchase a different kind of pecorino (sardo, for example), or even a fairly young pecorino romano, you'll find that you have the "gooey mess" problem with that procedure.

Now, a comment: the ATK recipe for Cacio e Pepe sounds bizarre to say the least. The normal way of making Cacio e Pepe is:

1. Cook pasta normally.
2. Drain pasta, leaving it slightly damp.
3. Toss pasta in a room-temperature bowl with lots of grated cheese and ground pepper.

If you follow the traditional recipe, then you can use a wider variety of grating cheeses without worrying about it becoming a gooey mass.

Answered by FuzzyChef

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What is the difference between pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce?

Question

Pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce are both tomato-based, have roughly the same seasoning (Italian) and look a like. However, I (and a friendly user here) think there is a difference between the two. So what is it? Or isn't there one and you can interchange the two without a weird feeling or taste?

Asked by Mien

Answer

Red pizza sauce is often (but not always) two things:

1. Thicker. Thinner sauce will tend to run in the oven and also steam the pizza crust as it cooks. Depending on the crust, the heat of the oven, the toppings above sauce, and how watery it is, this may not be needed. If you've just got some crushed tomatoes and a few bits of cheese in a super hot oven - the sauce should be fine without reducing beforehand. If you've loaded up a bucket of sauce and a pound of cheese, precook and reduce the sauce.

2. It's often simpler. Many pasta dishes like spaghetti highlight the sauce and hours of simmering happen for the sauce to bring it to perfection. They're all about the sauce. Pizza is really about the crust and what highlights it. Many of the best pizzas are simply topped. Crushed san marzano tomatoes (sometimes) reduced with a hint of salt is often all I do, and franky, it's enough. I'm not talking about the jarred varieties here, but what you might cook at home. Jars in the store, the main difference is just how thick it is.

Answered by rfusca

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Is there grade/quality for spaghetti selection?

Question

Just as the topic.

One of my friends brought me some spaghetti from Italy. What is the difference between spaghetti from Italy and spaghetti from outside of Italy?

Answer

There is a legal difference: according to Italian law, pasta (which includes spaghetti) is made only with durum wheat. Other countries also accept soft wheat. The difference is in the amount of protein (mostly gluten): durum wheat has more, which in turn gives the pasta a somewhat snappier bite. Also, the cooked pasta stays eatable (as in, non-mushy) for a longer time.

Moreover, some Italian pastas are extruded through traditional bronze dies that leave a slightly rougher surface that makes for better sauce adhesion.

Avoid by all means all stupid Italian pastas made for tourists. Avoid stupid novelty shapes and (most) colored pastas. Some good brands with global distribution that will not let you down: Barilla, Agnesi, Garofalo, De Cecco (thanks for the tip).

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How to preserve spaghetti for a short amount of time?

Question

Let's say I make a spaghetti-and-meatball supper, and I made the spaghetti an hour or so before the meal. What's the best way to keep it fresh and warm until we're ready to eat?

Answer

The technique that many restaurants will use is to prepare the pasta ahead of time and store it in or on ice water. The chilled pasta may be then submerged briefly in boiling water and served.

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What other cheap and easy-to-find condiment can I add to this (ridiculously) simple spaghetti recipe?

Question

Right now, I'm just cooking the spaghetti like this:

1. I boil the spaghetti
2. I add salt
3. I add a spoon of oil (not sure if I should do that before or after placing the spaghetti into the plate).
4. And finally I add a spaghetti tomato sauce (which has garlic, vinegar, onion, pizza powder, etc.).

I'm facing economic problems right now, so the condiment should be cheap.

I was wondering what other cheap and easy-to-find condiment I can add? (Perhaps, I'm missing another common condiment).

Answer

It seems this question is really about cheap but tasty pasta sauces.

So, here are a couple -

1) Cook pasta. Fry (gently) garlic in oil. Pour hot oil over pasta. Mix. (Can be spruced up with fresh basil, a little cheese)

2) For kids either just butter or just ketchup work. I loved both as a child, and mine go for either.

3) Flavoured oils - chili oil for example can work wonders. Easy to make your own too. Just leave whatever it is in the oil.

4) Cream and chicken stock.

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What's the numbering system for spaghetti and does it matter?

Question

When I lived in Italy some years ago I remember an Italian friend explaining the numbering system for spaghetti (perhaps also other long pasta). How spaghetti was sold in Italy with a number indicating its fineness.

She told me that different kinds of recipes called for specific numbered spaghetti, if you wanted to be precise.

Can anyone else explain the numbering system for spaghetti better than my vague recollection? Do people in Italy really worry about matching the right numbered spaghetti with a given dish, and has anyone outside Italy encountered a recipe calling for a specific number spaghetti?

Answer

They are just a "product number", and it may vary for the same kind of pasta from a manufacturer to another.

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Does splitting spaghetti in half change the taste?

Question

I've heard that splitting spaghetti in half before cooking them change the taste. Is it true?

Answer

No, it's not true. It will not change the way they cook. Noodle cooking times vary by what they're made out of and by thickness, not by the length of the noodles.

The kids and I seem to prefer eating shorter noodles and dodging the hassle of spinning the noodles, but when there's company over we tend to do it the classic "right" way. No difference in taste.

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My tomato sauce is very watery

Question

It has flavor, but its consistency is too thin. Will letting sit over medium low heat evaporate enough to increase its density or is this useless? Would bringing it to a boil help more. I don't want to ruin its flavor and am afraid bringing it to a boil with high heat will do just that.

Answer

Yes, cooking it more to evaporate off some of the liquid will definitely help. This is called reducing a sauce. A moderate simmer would be the appropriate temperature. You want to see occasional bubbles but definitely not a rolling boil. Stir it occasionally, making sure to get the bottom of the pot to avoid any scorching. It is possible to have it be quite liquid on top and rather dense in pockets on the bottom, which can then get well above 212 F and reaching the point of burning.

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