Uni Cacio E Pepe Recipe

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add coarse sea salt (about 1 tbs).

Add the fresh tonnarelli and cook until al dente — usually 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Reserve about 180 ml of starchy pasta cooking water before draining.

Drain the pasta quickly and keep it warm; do not rinse.

Prepare uni purée

Place 60 g of the uni in a blender or small food processor with 15 g butter and 30 ml of the reserved pasta water. Pulse briefly to create a smooth, slightly runny purée. Taste and adjust salt carefully; uni and Pecorino are both salty, so add none or minimal additional salt.

In a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat, warm the crème fraîche (90 g) gently until it begins to steam but does not boil, about 2 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent separation.

Whisk the uni purée into the warm crème fraîche until homogenous. Add the finely grated Pecorino (60 g) in two additions, whisking after each to form a glossy, creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add small splashes of the reserved pasta water (10–20 ml at a time) to reach a silken texture that will coat the pasta.

Add freshly cracked black pepper (1 tsp) and taste. The sauce should be pepper-forward but balanced with the uni and cheese. Keep the heat very low — do not let the sauce boil, which can break the emulsion.

Fold the remaining uni pieces (reserve 4–6 g or a few whole pieces for garnish) into the sauce gently so some texture remains.

If desired, stir in an additional 10–20 ml of pasta water to loosen the sauce just before adding the pasta so it will cling to the noodles.

Add the drained tonnarelli directly to the pan with the uni cacio e pepe sauce. Toss vigorously with tongs or two forks over low heat for 30–60 seconds so the pasta is fully coated and the sauce emulsifies with the pasta starch. If needed, add up to 30 ml more pasta water to reach a silky consistency.

Taste and add freshly ground black pepper (about 1/2 tsp) if more brightness is needed. Do not add additional salt unless absolutely necessary.

Divide the pasta between two warmed plates. Grate the cured egg yolk evenly over each portion (about 4 g per plate).

Top each portion with a small quenelle or spoonful of Osetra caviar (about 7–8 g per plate) placed gently on top or to the side so diners can combine it with each bite.

Finish with a very light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional), a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, and a microgreen sprig if using.

Serve immediately. Encourage diners to mix the caviar into the warm pasta as they eat so the flavors meld.