Vegan Cacio e Pepe

Step 1

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until tender but still a little chewy in the center, 9 to 11 minutes. Near the end of cooking, remove and reserve 2 cups (475 ml) of the starchy pasta water.

Step 2

Add 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) of the reserved pasta water to a large deep pan or wok. Add the butter and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Season with a little salt and cook until the butter melts. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/2 cup (50 g) of the Parm.

Step 3

Drain the pasta and transfer to the deep pan or wok. Stir with tongs and shake the pan like mad until the sauce thickens a bit and coats the pasta, marrying pasta and sauce as one. Stir in another 1 cup (100 g) Parm, then taste a piece of pasta and season with a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Step 4

Use tongs to transfer full portions of pasta to shallow bowls or plates, decoratively twisting each portion onto the plate. Shower the remaining Parm over the pasta, along with a bit more ground black pepper, and top with the breadcrumbs, if using.