Authentic Cacio e Pepe

  There is nothing like eating Cacio e Pepe in Italy but this recipes comes pretty darn close! The key in this, as in and all Italian recipes, is the quality of ingredients rather than the technique and this is kind of what separates Italian cuisine from many others. That being said there are a few technique tips that sets this recipe apart from many others on the internet. This recipe is my modification from the many many many recipes I've tried over the years trying to duplicate the Italian version. find my simpler verion using Parmigiano Reggiano here: My Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano (Must be Sheep's milk MUST be from Italy DOP) BUT NOT Locatelli as it simply wont melt! Visit an italian shop, WholeFoods  or Amazon as these all carry the real thing.
12 ounces spaghetti
1/8 - 1/4 cup Fresh ground black pepper on the bigger grind.
Directions
Cook pasta about 1 minute short of al dente directions on package and set aside 2 cups of the pasta water for later use.
Grate Cheese on smallest grind into a fine powder.
In a large saute pan toast the pepper in the dry pan for a minute.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan with 1 cup of the  reserved water and finish the last minute of cooking in the pan.
Mix the 1/2 cup of reserved water with the cheese into a sauce.
Mix both together off the heat using the last bit of reserved pasta water if needed. 
Eat this right away to enjoy the creaminess!