Drunken Cacio E Pepe

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it generously.
2. Thinly slice the garlic.
3. Coarsely grind enough peppercorns to make a scant 2 tablespoons. You want a very big grind. If your pepper mill won't do it, crush them in a mortar and pestle, or in a zip-top bag with the bottom of a heavy skillet. Very satisfying. Very loud.
4. If it isn't already, finely grate the pecorino.
5. Cube 6 tablespoons of the butter and keep it in the fridge. Cold butter is the whole trick later. Keep it cold.
6. Open the wine.
7. In a large Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a glug of olive oil over medium-high. (The oil keeps the butter from burning at this heat.) Add the garlic and pepper, season with salt, and cook, stirring, over medium until the garlic softens but doesn't brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Pour in the whole bottle of wine, turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Cook until it's reduced to ¾ cup, 16 to 20 minutes. Your kitchen is going to smell incredible. Your neighbors may have questions.
9. Once the wine has been reducing for about 10 minutes, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the package says. Scoop out a cup or so of pasta water, then drain.
10. When the wine is reduced, turn the heat to low and add the cold butter a few pieces at a time, shaking the pot and stirring until it's a silky, glossy sauce. Go slow. Rushed butter breaks into a greasy puddle, and you'll have to tell people it's rustic.
11. Add the pasta and coat it in the sauce with tongs. Now the cacio: add the 3 ounces of cheese with a big splash of pasta water. Keep tossing, adding pasta water a splash at a time, until the sauce is loose and silky. You may not need all of it. Season with salt one last time.
12. Divide among bowls and eat immediately, with more cheese on top.