Cheese and black pepper

Recipe by Stephanie Nass
Photo courtesy of Stockton Johnson

Lifestyle magazine topics I love dishes that are theatrical and incorporate their preparation into how they are presented.

Preparing this pasta dish in a giant wheel of cheese in front of guests is a wow. You can source the wheel online, from a food distributor, or (with enough advance notice) potentially from your local grocer. After the event, you can grate and freeze the cheese for future use.

• 60-pound wheel Pecorino Romano, hollowed out at the top to form a bowl shape (approximately 2 to 4 inches deep; use pieces removed to grate)
• 3 pounds spaghetti, cooked until almost al dente and tossed in olive oil
• Salt
• 2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• Black pepper

Instructions:

1. Move your cheese wheel so it is beside your pasta pot and visible to guests.
2. In a pot of boiling salted water, reheat individual servings of cooked pasta for 1 to 2 minutes. As the pot boils down and water runs lower, you can add additional water (and salt).
3. Using tongs, transfer the reheated pasta to the well of the cheese wheel. Add ½ cup pasta water and a sprinkle of the grated cheese. Toss the pasta around the well until it is coated with a slippery cheese sauce.
4. Transfer the pasta to a plate and freshly crack black pepper over the top. Serve immediately. Continue this process until all guests are served.