Recipe by Veronica Vichit-Vadakan
Lives in Portland, OR
Profession: Librarian
How do you Leisure: frequently and whole-heartedly
Word of the day: Chanterelle
Childhood cuisine: Eclectic, voluminous, emphatic. My Cantonese grandmother did most of the cooking for the first few years of my life, and I deeply regret that I wasn't old enough to learn all of her amazing dishes.
“I love cacio e pepe, the ultimate in Italian simplicity and comfort. I came up with this recipe as an East-meets-West version of the classic dish. I am a little bit addicted to the tingly spice of Sichuan peppercorns and here it adds just the right amount of sparkle. Cacio e pepe is already simple, quick comfort food, and using fresh Umi noodles makes it even quicker and more comforting. And the chewy noodles go so well with butter and cheese!”
Active Time: 12 minutes | Difficulty: Easy | 2 to 3 servings
1 package (12 ounces) Umi Organic ramen noodles
1 heaping teaspoon each whole Sichuan peppercorn, white peppercorn, and black peppercorn
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
1/4 grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
1. In a large pot, bring about 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Gently pull apart and fluff noodles. Add noodles to water and boil 2 minutes, stirring often. Drain the noodles well, but reserve about 1/4 cup water.
2. In a wide skillet over medium-low heat, toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, about 3 minutes. In a mortar, crush up the Sichuan, black, and white peppercorns into little bits.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Turn heat down to low and add the peppercorns and salt. Stir until warm and fragrant. Add the reserved water.
4. Divide the noodles between bowls. Top with the butter mixture, toss to coat, and then pile the cheese on top. Top with more fresh black pepper if you want. Pretend you are a Japanese-Italian nonna and serve the bowls to your family.
