Some dishes are better watched than described. Cacio e Pepe Tagliatelle from the Cheese Wheel is one of them. A whole wheel of Pecorino is brought to the table, its centre hollowed and softened. Hot tagliatelle goes in, is turned through the cheese until every strand is coated, and comes out glossy, peppery and ready to eat. From 29 September, ALBA does this every Tuesday, and keeps doing it for 90 minutes.
The Tuesday Special
Unlimited homemade tagliatelle from the Pecorino cheese wheel, tossed tableside with classic Cacio e Pepe, for 90 minutes from the moment you sit down.
Cacio & Pepe - £28
With freshly shaved black truffle - £35
Every Tuesday at ALBA Knightsbridge, opposite Harrods.
What Cacio e Pepe Is, and Why the Wheel Matters
Cacio e Pepe is one of the great Roman pastas and one of the simplest: cheese, black pepper, pasta and the starchy water it was cooked in. The trick is emulsion. Done well, the cheese and water become a sauce that clings; done badly, they clump. Tossing the pasta inside a warm Pecorino wheel solves the problem the old way. The cheese melts from the walls of the wheel into the pasta as it turns, and the heat of the tagliatelle does the rest. There is no sauce added from a pan. The wheel is the sauce.
ALBA uses homemade tagliatelle rather than the traditional tonnarelli. The wider ribbon carries more cheese and holds the pepper better, and it is the shape the kitchen already cuts fresh every day. If you want to know why shape matters so much, our guide to Italian pasta shapes explains it.
The Truffle Option
For £35 the tagliatelle comes with freshly shaved truffle over the top. At launch that is black truffle, shaved at the table after the pasta comes out of the wheel, so the aroma hits as the plate lands. Cacio e Pepe and truffle is a natural pairing: the pepper sharpens the truffle, the Pecorino carries it.
If truffle pasta is your thing, the ALBA Tagliatelle with black truffle is on the menu every day of the week.
How the Evening Works
The 90 minutes start when you are seated. The wheel comes to the table, the first portion is tossed in front of you, and the kitchen keeps the tagliatelle coming until the time is up or you ask it to stop. It is unhurried rather than a race: most tables settle at two or three portions and a good deal of conversation. Order a glass of Franciacorta or something from the wine list to cut the richness.
The Tuesday Special is for the table, so it works for two as well as for six. Book for a Tuesday and mention the cheese wheel when you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ALBA's Tuesday Special?
Unlimited homemade tagliatelle tossed tableside in a whole Pecorino wheel with classic Cacio e Pepe, for 90 minutes. £28, or £35 with freshly shaved truffle. Every Tuesday from 29 September.
How Long Does the Tuesday Special Last?
90 minutes from the moment you are seated, with the kitchen bringing tagliatelle until the time is up or you ask it to stop.
What is Cacio e Pepe?
One of the great Roman pastas: cheese, black pepper, pasta and its starchy cooking water, emulsified into a sauce that clings. At ALBA it is finished inside a warm Pecorino wheel, so the wheel itself becomes the sauce.
Do I Need to Book for the Tuesday Special?
Booking is recommended. Book for a Tuesday through the ALBA website and mention the cheese wheel when you do.
