Grossy’s Cacio e Pepe

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In Italian, Cacio e Pepe translates to “cheese and pepper,” and as far as accurate recipe names go, this one nails it. Cheese and pepper are traditionally the only ingredients in this classic Roman dish. Combined with spaghetti, they create a famously creamy, cheesy, and peppery delight. For such a seemingly simple dish, it can be challenging to make the sauce without the cheese getting testy and clumping up on you. However, Mama Grossy is here to save that day! I truly believe that I have found a fool-proof way to achieve creamy dreamy Cacio e Pepe pasta that you are going to love.

Personal opinion alert: I have found that, because Cacio e Pepe is so rich, I’m often left yearning for a little more brightness and texture. My secret? Adding some fresh spicy greens and a hint of lemon zest at the very end. It really changes everything for me, and I think it will for you, too! Follow me all the way to the end of this recipe, and you are eating Grossy’s Cacio e Pepe. Stop before the greens and zest, and you have a classic Cacio e Pepe that will not let you down!

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Grossy’s Cacio e Pepe

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  • Author: Dan Pelosi
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What You’ll Need

Scale
  • 1 lb box of spaghetti
  • 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups pecorino cheese, finely grated
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 handfuls fresh arugula or mustard greens

What You’ll Do

  1. Before you dive in, I just want to say that the below is very wordy, which may trick you into thinking this recipe is complicated—it’s not. I just like to be thorough when describing a recipe. I’d read the below for lots of good information, and then make the Cacio e Pepe by following the step-by-step photos and instructions.
  2. So first, you’ll fill a large pot with 2 inches of water and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. You want your water extra starchy, so less water means a higher concentration of starch. Normally I would salt my pasta water heavily but not today because this dish gets real salty real fast!
  3. Bring water to a boil and add pasta. Set timer for 6 minutes. No really—set a timer.
  4. While the timer ticks away, add 2 ½ teaspoons freshly cracked pepper to the bottom of a large pan. Turn heat to medium and toast the pepper, moving it around in pan until pepper is fragrant (about 2 minutes). Carefully add 1 cup of pasta water from the pasta pot into the pan with pepper and stir. Let simmer over medium.
  5. While the timer ticks on, add 1 ½ cups finely grated pecorino cheese and ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Whisk it up, removing any clumps, then set aside.

    Note: You can use ALL pecorino in this recipe, which is traditional in Roman Cacio e Pepe, but I find it can be a bit too salty. The mix of a little parmesan helps cut the salt a bit!
  6. When your 6 minute timer is up, use tongs to transfer your pasta into the pan with peppery water. Mix well and continue to simmer over medium heat.
  7. Take 1 cup of hot pasta water and add to bowl with cheese. Immediately start to whisk. Do not stop until you have the creamiest and dreamiest cheese sauce. That means no lumps!
  8. Add cheese sauce to pan with pasta. There should still be a little bit of pasta water left in pan. Mix until combined, and then keep going until you have a perfectly thick, creamy and glossy sauce coating your pasta. Add more freshly ground pepper to taste. If your sauce dries out too fast, add more reserved pasta water as needed.
  9. If you stop here, you have traditional Cacio e Pepe. If you want to go full Grossy on it, read on.
  10. Remove from heat. Add a few handfuls of arugula or mustard greens to pan plus the zest of ½ of a lemon. Stir pasta a few times to incorporate, but don’t over mix. The greens will wilt just a little bit, which is all you want!
  11. Plate your pasta, adding some more greens on top for crunch! Enjoy!
  12. Note: Cacio e Pepe is best made fresh and eaten immediately. The process is so fast and easy! I like to keep some pasta water for reheating leftovers in a pan. Add some pasta water little by little over medium heat and stir until your sauce is thick and creamy again!

Share a photo on Instagram and tag me (@GrossyPelosi) — I can’t wait to see it!

Make it step by step with me:

1. Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring water to a boil and add pasta. Set timer for 6 minutes. No really—set a timer.

2. While the timer ticks away, add 2 ½ teaspoons freshly cracked pepper to the bottom of a large pan. Turn heat to medium and toast the pepper, moving it around in pan until pepper is fragrant (about 2 minutes).

3. Carefully add 1 cup of pasta water from the pasta pot into the pan with pepper and stir. Let simmer over medium heat.

4. While your timer ticks, add 1 ½ cups finely grated pecorino cheese and ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Whisk it up, removing any clumps, and set aside.

5. When your 6 minutes is up, use tongs to transfer your pasta into pan with peppery water. Mix well and continue to simmer over medium.

6. This is the magic! Take 1 cup of hot pasta water and grab your bowl of cheese and your whisk.

7. Add hot pasta water to bowl with cheese. Immediately start to whisk. Do not stop until you have the creamiest and dreamiest cheese sauce. That means no lumps! Voila!

8. Over medium heat, add cheese sauce to pan with pasta. There should still be a little bit of pasta water left in pan. Mix until combined, and then keep going until you have a perfectly thick, creamy and glossy sauce coating your pasta. If your sauce dries out too fast, add more reserved pasta water as needed.

9. She’s truly stunning! Add more freshly ground pepper to taste.

If you stop here, you have traditional Cacio e Pepe. If you want to go fully Grossy on it, follow me.

10. Remove from heat. Add a few handfuls of arugula or mustard greens to pan plus the zest of ½ of a lemon.

11. Stir pasta a few times to incorporate, but don’t over mix. The greens will wilt just a little bit, which is all you want!

12. Plate your pasta, adding some more greens on top for crunch! Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Roasted Peaches and Balsamic Ranch

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In this easy sheet pan meal, the pork chops roast on a cooling rack set inside a sheet pan. This ensures that the pork chops get browned all over (and don’t steam), while the juices drip down to add extra flavor to the peaches and onions in the sheet pan. It’s an ingenious hack for a gorgeous weeknight meal.

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Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Roasted Peaches and Balsamic Ranch

Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Roasted Peaches and Balsamic Ranch

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  • Author: Dan Pelosi
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What You’ll Need

Scale
  • 4 peaches, quartered
  • 2 large red onions, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 bone-in pork chops
  • Balsamic Ranch Dressing
  • 1/2 cup whole Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

What You’ll Do

  1. Preheat oven to 400℉.
  2. Place peaches and onions on a sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly in the pan. Place a cooling rack on top of the peaches and onions and place the pork chops on the rack. Brush the pork chops on both sides with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
  3. Place in preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until pork chops reach desired internal temperature. Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Remove the rack and place the pork chops back on top of the peaches and onions. Serve with the balsamic ranch dressing on the side.

    For the Ranch Dressing:

  4. While the pork chops roast, make the balsamic ranch. Place Greek yogurt, balsamic vinegar, chives, mint, dill, celery salt, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  5. ENJOY!

Share a photo on Instagram and tag me (@GrossyPelosi) — I can’t wait to see it!

Stracciatella Soup

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The word “stracciatella” has three distinct meanings in Italian. The most popular one, perhaps, is a creamy gelato with ribbons of dark chocolate dancing in every scoop. The second is another popular option: cheese. Scraps of mozzarella are mixed with cream, forming what can be most commonly found on the inside of a ball of burrata. The final meaning, and the one that started it all, is a warm brothy soup that is strewn with strands of a cheesy egg mixture. It’s comfort in a bowl.

“Stracciatella” translates to “little rags” or “little shreds” in Italian. While this is not exactly the most appetizing translation, it makes sense visually in each of these namesake recipes. The original stracciatella was named after the eggs, poured slowly into the broth while being stirred, forming little strands (or shreds) while they cook. It’s a smart and simple way to use broth (particularly homemade) and is an easy meal that can be made with ingredients you likely already have on hand. I hope you love it as much as I do.

This recipe was developed for Delish Magazine. The full recipe and a lovely video of me making the recipe can be found below or here.

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Stracciatella Soup

Stracciatella Soup

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  • Author: Dan Pelosi
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What You’ll Need

Scale
  • 6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 c. grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmegFreshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 c. fresh spinach

What You’ll Do

  1. Add broth to a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer.
  2. While broth is coming to a boil, add eggs, parmesan, parsley, basil, and nutmeg to a small bowl. Whisk until completely combined.
  3. Taste broth, and adjust the seasoning as desired with salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes.
  4. While stock is at a strong simmer, slowly add the egg mixture, stirring the broth in a circular motion so that strands of eggs form. (Take your time with this, it’s worth it.)
  5. Add the spinach, give it a quick stir, and let spinach wilt into the stock. Taste and adjust flavors once again.
  6. Distribute the Stracciatella among bowls and top with Parmesan and black pepper.
  7. ENJOY!

Share a photo on Instagram and tag me (@GrossyPelosi) — I can’t wait to see it!

Grossy’s Tomato Mayo Toast

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Hello and welcome to my guide to Tomato Mayo Toast—the most perfect and delicious summer snack. We are on the heels of tomato season, which runs from May through October and peaks in mid-summer, so the timing of this guide could not be better.

My summers were spent grabbing and eating tomatoes directly from both my Dad’s and Bimpy’s gardens, so I like to consider myself well-versed in all things summer + tomatoes.

Tomato Mayo Toast is one of the simplest, most delicious recipes you can make as a summer treat, customizing it along the way to truly make it your own!

I am here to walk you through some fun variations of this classic and ensure that this dish never ever gets old. The idea is that you are inspired to play around with these ideas as well as come up with some of your own! I cannot wait to see what you make. Let’s go!

The Tomato

PICKING A TOMATO: Like I said above, tomato season runs from May through October. Throughout this period, endless varieties of tomatoes are available for you to use. There is no wrong choice here, just grab whichever tomato smells the sweetest and makes you smile.

SLICE YOUR TOMATO: There is no wrong way to slice your tomato, just lots of fun options. As for the knife, serrated is best. I use my bread knife and it works like a dream. You can slice it from stem to bottom, through the center of the body, or even into nice chunky wedges. I also love to slice up some smaller tomatoes (i.e. grape or cherry) and sprinkle them across my toast. The toast is your canvas, and the tomato is your muse.

SALT YOUR TOMATO: The most important thing you can do to your tomato is properly salt it. The salt does a few important things, but the most important effect it has is pulling out the juices in the tomato and bringing them to the surface, which ultimately enhances the flavor of the tomato instantly. It also activates your saliva, making sure you taste every bit of that sweet tomato flavor. I like to use sea salt for this, as it adds a nice crunch.

The Mayo

STRAIGHT UP: Listen, there is some serious magic in frosting a thick layer of your favorite (read: Duke’s) mayo on a piece of bread, slapping a tomato on top and just living, laughing and loving. This is your gateway, and you will be hooked.

ACIDS AND ALLIUMS: A seriously delightful twist to your mayo is adding some acids (lemon or lime juice or and/or zest) or alliums (grated garlic, chopped onions or shallots) and giving it a stir. If you like tart and tang, this will take your tomato toast to the next level!

FRESH HERBS: I have been known to go so far as to add pesto into my mayo, which honestly would be delicious here as well. But this is meant to be an easy breezy way to kick up your tomato mayo toast, so I will just say that chopping up some fresh herbs (I like basil or chives) and tossing them into your mayo is a delightful way to bring some of the best parts of summer together.

SPICY SPICE: For some, summer provides enough heat. For others, the hotter the better. And for those brave folks, I must suggest adding something spicy directly into your mayo and giving it a nice solid mix. I have approximately 300 bottles of hot sauce in my fridge, and truly any of them make the perfect addition to this twist on tomato mayo toast.

The Toast

CHOICES, CHOICES: As a society, we have never seen more choices available in bread than at this very moment. Sourdough, white bread, raisin walnut bread, olive bread, gluten free bread… The list goes on. All of them—plus bagels and english muffins—are a delicious choice for your tomato mayo toast. As for me, I typically stick with a nice crusty loaf of sourdough or a perfectly soft pre-sliced sandwich bread.

TOASTED: We are, after all, making toast. There are some great ways to make toast out there. Famously, a toaster works very well or even a toaster oven, from what I hear! I do not own either, but let me tell you that 5 minutes or so in a 450º oven with your bread right on the oven rack is a great and easy way to make some toast, kids!

OLIVE OIL FRIED: If you have not yet cut yourself a nice slice of bread and tossed it into a frying pan filled with some delicious and hot olive oil and fried each side of the bread until it’s golden brown and glowing then please, I beg you, drop everything and do it now. This makes a truly delicious foundation for this recipe.

MAYO FRIED: Just when you thought we had enough mayo happening (impossible, TBH), I want to be sure you know that you can, in fact, fry your bread in mayo as well. Slather both sides of your bread with mayo and fry them over medium until they are perfectly golden brown. They are now ready for that frosting of mayo, thank you!

The Toppings

SALT AND PEPPER: This is the tried and true way to top your tomato mayo toast. Simple and pure. Almost too good for this world.

HOT HOT HOT: Another one for the spicy loving kids. Toss some red pepper flakes, some chili paste or some hot sauce on top of your toast for a very quick hit of heat.

HERBS: If you pass on chopping up your herbs and making an herby mayo, you still have a chance here to include some of summer’s other best flavors! A few leaves of basil or mint, some chopped up cilantro, parsley or chives —you herb it here first.

PROTEIN: Bacon, prosciutto, sardines, anchovies, a jammy soft-boiled egg… all frequent guests on my tomato mayo toasts and they could not be more welcome guests. You never know, one or two may just stay a while if you let them!

I am so delighted to share my guide to the perfect tomato mayo toast! While I gave you many great options to explore, there are countless others for you to dream up.

Mayo your dreams come true…

XO,

Grossy

Aunt Jessie’s Ambrosia Salad

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I spent my twenties living in San Francisco, and a good portion of that time was spent in the audience at drag bars, hanging out with drag performers, and even dating one. There was one drag queen named Ambrosia Salad (which is a fucking brilliant drag name) and every time she performed, I was transported back to the couch at my Aunt Jessie’s house. Aunt Jessie is Bimpy’s younger sister and is famous for her sweet tooth. She always made her Ambrosia Salad recipe at every family gathering, and I am pretty sure I always consumed the majority of it.

Ambrosia Salad is named after the food of Greek and Roman Gods and is a common recipe that has many different ingredient variations: sour cream, cool whip, marshmallows, canned fruits, coconut, you name it! My recipe honors the recipe of Aunt Jessie, but like all my family recipes, has a fun Grossy spin. We are looking at a supermarket fantasy here, one that may not be for everyone, and that’s okay. When it works, Ambrosia Salad can be a mouthful of pure joy, whimsy and, of course, nostalgia.

Watch me make this recipe on Instagram!

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Aunt Jessie's Ambrosia Salad

Aunt Jessie’s Ambrosia Salad

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  • Author: Dan Pelosi
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What You’ll Need

  • 1 3 oz. box instant pistachio pudding mix
  • 1 8 oz. container of cool whip*
  • 1 15 oz. can fruit cocktail**
  • 1 5 oz. can mandarin oranges**
  • 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple**
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes or shavings, optional
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
  • It’c common is many Ambrosia Salad recipes to add lots of other ingredients like mini marshmallows and other types of fruits. Add them in to this recipe, they will work! I do not add them into mine, as it was not our family tradition!

What You’ll Do

  1. This recipe takes approximately 90 seconds to make and is pure joy. Let’s go.
  2. Mix the cool whip and dry pudding mix together in a bowl.
  3. Strain the juices from your canned fruits. Give the juice to Bimpy to drink then add the fruit into the bowl with the cool whip. Add coconut and nuts as well. Mix to combine until everything is evenly distributed.
  4. Place in your serving bowl and chill in the fridge before serving. This is a dish best served cold 🙂
  5. Enjoy!
  6. *You can use whipped cream instead of cool whip if you like.
  7. **You can use any combo of these canned fruits, just always use 30 ounces total combined.

Share a photo on Instagram and tag me (@GrossyPelosi) — I can’t wait to see it!