Cacio e pepe: Good Food pasta recipe sparks fury in Italy

A recipe for a traditional Roman dish, pasta cacio e pepe, featured on the popular UK Good Food website sparked outrage among Italians for its inaccurate ingredients and portrayal as a quick meal option. The dish, known for its simplicity yet difficulty to perfect, is a staple of Roman cuisine, traditionally made with spaghetti, black pepper, and pecorino cheese. However, the Good Food recipe included additional ingredients such as parmesan, butter, and even suggested double cream, leading to backlash from Italian chefs and food associations.

The Italian association representing restaurants, Fiepet Confesercenti, took the issue to the British embassy in Rome, expressing astonishment at the misrepresentation of the iconic dish on a respected British food site. The association’s president, Claudio Pica, emphasized the importance of preserving the original recipe of cacio e pepe, which has a rich history in Italian cooking and culture. The controversy gained traction in Italian media, with one journalist criticizing the mistake and deviation from tradition.

Despite chefs’ occasional experimentation with variations of cacio e pepe, Italians are particularly sensitive to the preservation of traditional recipes and the integrity of their culinary heritage. Maurizio, a hotel owner in central Rome, highlighted the importance of respecting the original Italian names and ingredients in dishes, noting that deviations can alter the essence of a recipe. Similarly, Giorgio Eramo, a pasta restaurant owner, expressed dismay at the misrepresentation of cacio e pepe with added ingredients like butter and parmesan, clarifying that such variations should be named differently to honor culinary traditions.

Nicola, a sandwich shop owner near the Vatican, echoed the sentiment that cream has no place in cacio e pepe, emphasizing the fundamental principles of Italian cooking and the frustration that results from foreign interpretations of traditional dishes. Eleonora, who works at a cafe in central Rome, acknowledged Italians’ strong attachment to their culinary traditions, noting that food plays a significant role in the country’s heritage and cultural identity. The incident has prompted discussions around the importance of respecting culinary traditions and the impact of inaccurate representations in international food media

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