Italian

A classic Roman peasant meal, coda alla vaccinara is a lush braise originally prepared by slaughtermen (vaccinari) who were often paid with the undesirable parts of the animal. It’s from these parts, like oxtail, that they made delicious dishes and proved the underestimated worth of these inexpensive cuts.

Having eaten hundreds of versions of this Roman classic in restaurants and in the homes of friends, I finally came up with a method that guarantees a perfect Cacio e Pepe.

This dish should be like a risotto, but a little more soupy. You should still be able to eat it with a fork. Leave out the pancetta and Parmesan and use vegetable stock to make it veggie.