INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound multigrain spaghetti (recommended: Barilla Plus)
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup coarsely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 full handfuls baby arugula, roughly chopped

PROCEDURE

Cook the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.  Grind the peppercorn in a spice grinder or coffee grinder.

Put the empty pasta pot back on low heat.  When it is dry, add the pepper to the warm pot, and toast for 15 seconds.  Add the butter, half the pasta water, and the pasta.  Top with most of the cheese and the arugula.  Toss to combine, and add the rest of the pasta water if needed to create more of a sauce.  Top with the remaining cheese, and serve as dinner in itself, or on the side of simple seared sliced steak or roasted jumbo shrimp.