Pici Cacio e Pepe with Thomas Straker

Chef, restaurateur and the internet’s unofficial King of Butter, Thomas Straker has the honour of being the first One Dish guest to actually cook at the studio. He’s making his signature dish of pici cacio e pepe for Andi Oliver. It’s a bit of a cheffy favourite at the moment but, as Thomas and Andi discuss, it’s becoming more well known with British home cooks thanks to its simple ingredients. Thomas explains how cooking this dish was a lifebelt for him during lockdown, why friction is the secret ingredient to hand-rolling great pici, and he and Andi explore the significance of the four classic Roman pasta dishes. Also, Thomas admits to the not-strictly-traditional tweaks he makes to the dish. Food Scientist: Kimberley Wilson Food Historian: Neil Buttery Producer: Lucy Dearlove Executive Producer: Hannah Marshall Sound Design: Charlie Brandon-King Assistant Producer: Bukky Fadipe A Storyglass production for BBC Radio 4