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Celeriac “Cacio e Pepe”

Right—before the food police come for me, I know Cacio e Pepe is a classic. Simple, elegant, blah blah. But I've taken it and given it a silky, luxurious glow-up with celeriac. It’s still minimal faff, but it gives the sauce a nutty subtle sweetness that offsets the salty cheese. It's so good. Think pasta meets posh mash. Let’s go...

Celeriac Cacio e Pepe on a plate
Celeriac "Cacio e Pepe"

Celeriac “Cacio e Pepe” Recipe

Serves 2

Difficulty Easy Time 45 mins


Ingredients

Celeriac Purée

  • 1 small celeriac

  • 40g butter

  • Approx. 200g whole milk (just enough to cover the celeriac in the pan)

  • Squeeze of lemon

  • Pinch of salt

Cacio e Pepe

  • 200g bucatini (or spaghetti if you can’t be arsed hunting for it)

  • 50ml olive oil

  • 8g black pepper (roughly crushed – texture is king)

  • 55g Pecorino Romano (30-month aged if you’re feeling fancy), finely grated + extra to finish

  • 150ml pasta water

  • Big ol’ pan of salty-as-the-sea boiling water


Method

1. Celeriac Purée Peel and chop the celeriac into little cubes. Melt butter in a small pan, add the celeriac, and let it sizzle. Cover with milk, simmer, then reduce the heat and pop a lid on (slightly ajar) for 15 mins until soft.

2. Pepper prep Bash your pepper in a pestle and mortar. You want it rough and ready—not powdery nonsense.

3. Blend to bliss Let the celeriac cool. Scoop out the cubes (leave most of the excess milk behind) and blitz with a pinch of salt and a cheeky squeeze of lemon until smooth.

4. Pasta time Boil your pasta in salty water—like the ocean salty. Undercook it by a minute.

5. Start your sauce base With 4 mins left on the pasta, warm olive oil and black pepper in a pan on low. Let them infuse.

6. Emulsify the magic Drain pasta. Add 5 big spoons of the celeriac purée to your oil and pepper, turn up the heat, then add the pasta. Chuck in your reserved pasta water and stir.

7. Cheese, please In goes the Pecorino. Stir till glossy, thick, and saucy in all the right ways.

8. Plate & devour Taste. Season if needed (careful—Pecorino's salty AF). Serve with more cheese on top. Obviously.

Top Tips

  • Pecorino + pasta water = salty situation. Hold back on extra salt ‘til the end.

  • If the purée celeriac and poaching liquid look split, it’ll come together once blitzed—no drama.

  • Want to really annoy tradition? Add a splash of white wine to the celeriac milk. We won't tell.


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