cacio e pepe dates all the way back to ancient rome and I think we can all agree - the roman’s really know what they’re doing. if I could go swimming in a bowl of cacio e pepe I would. so let’s turn this creamy, cheesy, peppery pasta dish into soft scrambled eggs, shall we? making this dish is a lot like making risotto; you need to stir constantly and have some serious patience. this is a marathon, not a sprint. slow and steady wins the race. i find that the best way to achieve a perfect soft scramble is to continuously scrape around the edges of your pan with a rubber spatula. you’ll be tempted to turn the heat up to speed along the process but don’t you dare !!! i repeat- low and slow. when the eggs are ready, they should be soft, creamy - and honestly, pretty similar consistency to risotto too. i promise you these eggs are decadent and delicious. if they’re good enough for ina, they’re good enough for me.

ingredients

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 large eggs

1/ 2 cup grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

1/ 2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

kosher salt

your favorite bread for serving

method

step 1

heat a large skillet over low heat. add pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. remove from skillet.

step 2

in a large bowl, whisk half the toasted pepper with eggs, cheese and salt.

step 3

melt butter in skillet over low heat. add egg mixture and stir constantly with a rubber spatula until eggs are soft scrambled and fluffy, around 8 minutes. eggs should be soft, creamy and loose but not soupy. sprinkle eggs with remaining toasted pepper, herbs, flaky salt, and extra cheese, if desired. serve with toast.