Italians furious over British interpretation of traditional pasta cacio e pepe

According to BBC News , the latter, a typically Roman dish, has caused a stir after the popular cooking website UK Good Food published its recipe.

And that's completely wrong, according to Italian experts. Because according to the traditional recipe, cacio e pepe contains only three ingredients: spaghetti, black pepper, and pecorino cheese. Not, as the British website states, four. UK Good Foods believes cacio e pepe should contain spaghetti, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and butter, and even suggests adding cream.

For Italians, this is a form of cultural barbarism, especially because the British present it as a quick lunch dish, something you can throw together on the go. "No, no, no," the Italians shout in unison, "that's not it. Cacio e pepe is a simple dish, but it requires love and a lot of attention to prepare."

The uproar has become so great that the Italian chefs' association has contacted the British Embassy in Rome to express its surprise and outrage at the Good Foods publication.

In Italy, too, chefs experiment with the ingredients of pasta cacio e pepe, but the result cannot bear that name. That would be a violation of tradition, and for Italian gourmets, it's considered sacrilege.