The traditional Roman pasta dish cacio e pepe, known for its simplicity and authenticity, has come under fire following a controversial recipe published by Good Food, a site previously under the BBC’s ownership. The traditional preparation consists of only three ingredients: spaghetti (or the stouter bucatini), ground black pepper, and pecorino cheese. However, the Good Food recipe introduces a fourth ingredient—butter—while even suggesting that the pecorino could be swapped for parmesan, a suggestion that incites outrage among culinary purists.
The backlash against this alteration has been significant, culminating in complaints reaching the British embassy, angry headlines in local media, and Roman chefs expressing their indignation about what they perceive as an assault on a cherished culinary staple. They argue that the sauce’s creaminess should stem solely from the marriage of starchy pasta water and pecorino, not from added butter, which they consider a sacrilege. This incident reflects a larger trend of irritation among Italians regarding foreign interpretations of their cuisine, particularly the missteps in Italian pasta recipes, such as the addition of cheese to seafood dishes or cream in carbonara.
Paolo Catarinozzi, owner of Zi Umberto, a restaurant famed for its authentic Roman fare in the Trastevere neighborhood, did not hold back in his criticism. He labeled the Good Food recipe as “disgusting” and insisted that adding butter transforms the dish into something unrecognizable. For Catarinozzi and his daughter Alice, preserving traditional recipes is not merely about culinary etiquette but preserving family heritage and honoring the culinary legacies passed down through generations.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting cultural culinary traditions. As global food culture continues to evolve, it’s essential to appreciate the origins and the stories behind beloved dishes, ensuring that they are enjoyed as they were intended.