100 Favorite Dishes, No. 2: Cacio e Pepe at Lucia

Pasta coated in a sauce made out of thin air.

I'm not sure why, but I get a disproportionate number of questions about the pasta dish you see above. Sure, cacio e pepe, the signature pasta dish of Rome, is a modestly popular plate, but so is roast chicken, and I don't exactly have tons of people asking me where to get the crispiest bird in town. But cacio e pepe, or "that pasta dish with the cheese and peppercorns," as it's often referred, has popped up in casual conversation and in comments in our blog a lot.

And every time I'm asked where to get a decent version of cacio e pepe, my answer is always the same: Get out your stock pot and sautée pan because the only way to have this dish as it should be is to prepare it yourself at home.

The recipe is simple: Cook some pasta in salted water until it's not quite done, and then finish the pasta in a pan with butter or olive oil, cheese (usually parmigiano reggiano) and enough of that pasta water to create a simple sauce. A healthy dose of black pepper gives the dish its characteristic bite. Cheese and pepper: That's the dish.

Yet restaurant kitchens never seem to get it right. Plates are often oily, and the peppercorns that fleck the pasta lack punch. So when I saw taglierini cacio e pepe on the menu at Lucia, I jumped at the chance to try David Uygur's take on the dish.

The trick is getting the water and fat in the dish to emulsify in a way that forms a sauce that clings to the pasta without weighing it down. Uygur also makes use of massive peppercorns that looked like they were cut up with a knife instead of ground in a mill. They explode like gunpowder when ground between your teeth, filling your mouth with faint heat and soot. It's such a simple dish, but it's a difficult one to pull off this well, and it's even harder to conjure something new like Lucia has.

No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher
No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill
No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna
No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas
No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing
No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah
No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake
No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet
No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co.
No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me
No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen
No. 87: The White Album at Spoon
No. 86: Ramen at Tei An
No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco
No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu
No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon
No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata
No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue
No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai
No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah
No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan
No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant
No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma
No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's
No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan
No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita
No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa
No. 71: The Chicken Wings at Teppo
No. 70: Cheesesteak at Truck Yard
No. 69: Chicken and Waffles at Jonathon's
No. 68: Birria Tacos at Los Torres Taqueria
No. 67: Bulgogi Cheesesteak at Say Kimchi
No. 66: Suadero Tacos at La Banqueta
No. 65: Brian Luscher's Post Oak Red Hot
No. 64: Banana Flower Salad at Mot Hai Ba
No. 63: Cinco Leches Cake At Mesero Miguel
No. 62: Cabrito a la Parilla at El Ranchito
No. 61: Reuben at Kuby's
No. 60: Plain Cheese Pizza Cooked Extra Crispy at Zoli's
No. 59: Enmoladas at Mesa
No. 58: Pig's Head at CBD Provisions
No. 57: Rib "Sandwich" at Baby Back Shak
No. 56: Beef Noodle Soup at Monkey King
No. 55: The Nachos at Spiral Diner
No. 54: Elotes, Everywhere
No. 53: The Popeye At Green Grocer
No. 52: The Cuban at International Bakery
No. 51: Rush Patisserie's Croissant
No. 50: Kitfo From Sheba's Ethiopian Kitchen
No. 49: Beer at Craft and Growler
No. 48: Pastor Tacos at El Rincon
No. 47: Banh Mi From Nammi
No. 46: Beef Fajitas From Mariano's
No. 45: Italian Combo from Carbone's
No. 44: The Brisket at Pecan Lodge
No. 43: Chicken-Fried Steak at Ellen's Southern Kitchen
No. 42: Carnitas Tacos at Taqueria Y Carneseria Guanajuato
No. 41: Lamb Burger at LARK
No. 40: Regina Margherita At Cane Rosso
No. 39: Barbacoa At Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo
No. 38: The Peace 'Stachio at Hypnotic Donuts
No. 37: Nasi Lemak at Kampong
No. 36: A Rotisserie Chicken Taco at Velvet Taco
No. 35: The Burger At Boulevardier
No. 34: Surfers On Acid At Local Oak
No. 33: Bread Pudding at Sissy's
No. 32: Pelmeni at the Russian Banya
No. 31: Loukoumathes at Greek Fest
No. 30: The Charcuterie Plate at FT33
No. 29: Short Rib Grilled Cheese at East Hampton
No. 28: The Fried Bologna Sandwich at Maple and Motor
No. 27: The Pastrami Sandwich at the Whistling Pig
No. 26: Bacon-Encrusted Bone Marrow at Knife
No. 25: Meatloaf at Stock and Barrel
No. 24: The Reuben at Cock and Bull
No. 23: Causa Limena at San Salvaje
No. 22: Fish Tacos at TJ's
No. 21: The Cuban at ¡C. Señor!
No. 20: The Smoked Salmon at Zen Sushi
No. 19: The Ham Sandwich at Vagabond
No. 18: Steak and Eggs at Meddlesome Moth
No. 17: Campechano at El Come Taco
No. 16: The Chicken Scratch at Chicken Scratch
No. 15: Veal Bolognese with Pappardelle at Urbano
No. 14: Chicken-Fried Steak at Babe's
No. 13: Hanger Steak and Eggs Taco at Good 2 Go Taco
No. 12: Emporium Pies' Pies
No. 11: Bun Bo Hue at Don Que
No. 10: Fish Reuben at Rex's
No. 9: Tacos at La Ventana
No. 8: Moules Frittes at the Grape
No. 7: The Sliders at Easy Slider
No. 6: Pulpo a la Plancha at Casa Rubia
No. 5: Bacon Egg and Cheese at Start
No. 4: Dry-Aged Burger At Neighborhood Services
No. 3: The Pork Chop at So&So's