This Might Be the Most Delicious Cacio E Pepe in Connecticut

Fresh off of our appearance at the Danbury San Gennaro Festival, this paisan was craving Cacio E Pepe. I landed at a beautiful restaurant in Waterbury, and the version they serve of this classic Italian dish may be the most delicious that I've ever had.

Cacio E Pepe is an Italian pasta dish that translates to 'Cheese and Pepper'. it's a simple dish made out of three basic ingredients: cheese, fresh-ground pepper, and pasta. According to wikipedia.com, shepherds from the farming communities of Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany, Umbria, and Rome are believed to have originated the dish in the 1700's. Most of the traditional recipes you'll find online for Cacio e pepe call for grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ground black pepper, and Spaghetti, or Tonnarelli pasta. The magical ingredient that adds an incredible layer of flavor into most pasta dishes - Starchy cooking water saved from the boil - is key to Cacio e Pepe, and a skilled chef knows just the right amount to add without drowning the intense blast of pepper.

Mrs. Large and I stopped into La Tavola Ristorante on Highland Avenue in Waterbury for lunch, and La Tavola's take on Cacio e Pepe uses handmade, pillowy Tortellini, savory Grana cheese, butter, black pepper, and sauce. My God, it's incredible. The dish is available on La Tavola's lunch and dinner menu for $26. Believe all of the excellent online reviews and "Best of Connecticut' mentions that La Tavola has received. Materia Ristorante in Bantam, you're next on my 'Must Try' list.