Italians have been left outraged after BBC Good Food published a recipe online for a traditional Roman dish that did not include the correct original ingredients and appeared to belittle it as “a speedy lunch”. Pasta cacio e pepe is a pasta dish typical of the Lazio region of Italy and is renowned for being simple, yet also surprisingly challenging to make.
As a result, Good Food’s description of it as something that can be quickly whipped up as a quick eat has irritated many locals. The recipe also listed four ingredients – spaghetti, black pepper, parmesan and butter and suggested double cream as an option – when there should only be three: spaghetti, black pepper and pecorino cheese. The outrage became so widespread that an association representing restaurants in Italy took the issue up with the British Embassy in Rome.
Fiepet Confesercenti said it was “astonished” to see the recipe on such an esteemed British food site, which was owned by the BBC until 2018. Its president, Claudio Pica, revealed that letters had been sent to Immediate Media, the site’s owner, and UK ambassador Edward Llewellyn.
Mr Pica said: “This iconic dish, traditionally from Rome and the Lazio region, has been a staple of Italian cuisine for years, so much so it has been replicated even beyond Italy’s borders.”
He regretted contradicting the British site, but clarified that “the original recipe for cacio e pepe excludes parmesan and butter. There are not four ingredients, but three: pasta, pepper and pecorino”.
The topic has been covered widely in Italian media, with a journalist at public broadcaster RAI saying: “We are always told, you are not as good as the BBC… and then they go and do this. Such a grave mistake. The suggestion of adding some cream gave me goosebumps.”
Italians have often got angry when foreigners tinker with their recipes or do not abide by local rules. For example, Italians generally avoid drinking cappuccino after midday because it’s traditionally considered a breakfast beverage. Cappuccino, with its milk and foam, is seen as a morning drink to pair with sweet pastries and is too heavy to be consumed after a meal, while a simple espresso is preferred later in the day.
The Express contacted Good Food owners Immediate Media for comment and a spokesperson said: “We have been in touch with the Fiepet Confesercenti association to explain that our recipe is designed to be easy to use for home cooks using readily available ingredients in the UK.
“With that in mind, we have edited the copy at the start of the recipe to make this clear and we have invited the Roman restaurant association to supply us with an authentic Italian version that we would love to upload and credit to them.”