In every dish by chef Michele Minchillo of Crema’s Vitium restaurant, the only Michelin star in the entire province of Cremona, the balance between contemporary cooking technique and the comfortable flavor of home cooking coexists.The most emblematic example, on the menu currently served at the restaurant, is the signature Cacio e pepe, shrimp and lime.
The recipe, the only one mentioned in the card by the Michelin Guide, takes one of the traditional first courses of Italian cuisine-in this case Capitoline-and revisits it by adding a personal twist, which enriches and completes the dish even more.
Embellishing the recipe are purple shrimp from Gallipoli, the same region that gave birth to the chef, a mix of peppers – Sichuan, Tellicherry, Cubebe and Sarawak – and two different cheeses used to make the sauce: Pecorino Romano Dop “Scorza Nera” and Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Bianche.
Chef Michele Minchillo Recipe for Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp and Lime
Ingredients for 4 people
Procedure
Lightly toast the peppers in an oven or frying pan. Clean the shrimp from the carapace and intestines. Marinate them lightly with oil, salt, pepper and lime zest.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water for ten minutes. Finely grate Parmesan and Pecorino cheese. Create the “cacio e pepe” cream by cooking the cheeses, peppers and a little cooking water at 60°C in a food processor until the right consistency is achieved.
When cooked, drain the pasta, place it in a pan with the cacio e pepe cream and toss to coat. Adjust salt, then serve and lay the marinated shrimp on top of the pasta.