Pasta recipe: Italians are indignant against the BBC version

The British version of the spaghetti classics Cacio and Pepe (cheese and pepper) causes a culinary outcry in Italy. The “Good Food” site of the BBC presented the recipe for the pasta dish – with a spicy misstep. The British author Rachel Phipps presented her recipe based on four ingredients instead of three – two of which have no place in it: butter and parmesan.

For many Italians, it borders on blasphemy: “Do not touch traditional recipes. We, the Italians, appreciate the classic version and it is untouchable, ”writes the site Rai.

“The original recipe contains only three ingredients: pasta, pepper and pecorino,” says Claudio Pica, president of the Fiepet Confeserce de Rome and Latium, in the Italian daily The messenger. Selling something other than the authentic is simply misleading.

Claudio Pica not only criticized the recipe, but also marketing the dish as a quick meal. In Rome, cheese and pepper spaghetti are not any snack, but are part of the culinary identity.

The Federation therefore demanded an official correction – and even contacted the British Embassy in Rome. Meanwhile, the BBC has corrected the recipe on its website. We can now read: “Three ingredients, three steps for a quick dinner during the week with the spaghetti cacio e pepe. The Pecorino, with its spicy notes, links to the cooking water of the pasta to form a creamy sauce which harmonizes perfectly with the pasta. ”

Indignation recalls the eternal debate on pineapple on pizza. But this time, it is more than a taste: it is culinary heritage.