Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.To achieve a creamier sauce, don’t use too much water. Once boiling, salt the water and cook the pasta.
   
2. While the pasta is cooking, lightly crush the peppercorns using a mortar and pestle.
   
3. Toast the crushed black pepper (reserve a pinch for serving) in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to avoid burning. Continue cooking over low heat, adding a little pasta water to prevent the pepper from burning.
   
4. Finely grate the cheese and place it in a small bowl (set aside a little for serving).
   
5. Two minutes before the pasta is fully cooked, transfer it to the pan with the pepper. Add a ladle of the starchy pasta water and continue cooking, stirring frequently. Add more pasta water if needed to prevent sticking.
   
6. Once the pasta is done, remove the pan from the heat. Gradually add a small amount of the pasta water to the grated cheese, stirring constantly to create a smooth, creamy (but not runny) sauce.
   
7. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss well to evenly coat it with the sauce and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little more pasta water.
   
8. Serve while hot, sprinkled with the reserved black pepper and grated pecorino.