It's no surprise, but Pecorino Romano and black pepper make fabulous popcorn toppings. This cacio e pepe popcorn starts with homemade popcorn with easy stovetop popping instructions, though you can make it any way you like. Freshly grate the cheese and crack the pepper for the best flavor, and dig in while warm!
As if I needed any more reasons to shovel Pecorino Romano into my mouth, here's cacio e pepe popcorn.
Forever my favorite cheese, Pecorino is a hard cheese made from sheep's milk with a salty, slight tang. It's punchier than Parmesan and is my topping of choice for minestrone soup with bacon, anything with basil pesto...really all manners of soups and pastas.
Pecorino and Parmesan are generally interchangeable in that they behave the same way in a recipe (both bring an amount of salt, melt the same, and are fabulous garnishes) but Parmesan leans nuttier with a hint of sweetness. Often both of their flavors will complement a recipe, so it's a matter of personal preference.
One recipe they're not interchangeable, in which it's Pecorino Romano or bust, is cacio e pepe. Despite few ingredients, there's a lot of chatter on nailing the method of making this classic Roman pasta just-so, but we can be a whole lot more easy breezy with it if we're taking flavor inspiration for homemade popcorn.
To the surprise of no one, a little melted butter, lots of finely-grated Pecorino, and freshly ground black pepper makes for excellent popcorn toppings. They really taste quite sophisticated!
My biggest tips? Freshly grate a wedge of Pecorino and grind black pepper for the very best flavor. And make sure the coconut oil you use is refined so there's no coconut flavor at all.
What You'll Need
- Popcorn kernels: I've used the standard stuff you'll find at the grocery store but branched out on a medium hulless popcorn variety (paid link) for these photos. I found it soft but hardy (the butter didn't sog them up) and led to less (but not no) sticking in your teeth. Fancier kernels or a basic kind will do the trick.
- Refined coconut oil: My pick for popping stovetop popcorn because it has a high smoke point, so much less risk of burning. It's important to use refined coconut oil (not unrefined/virgin) as it has no coconut flavor whatsoever. If you'd like to use something else, go for a neutral-flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point.
- Butter: Melted and drizzled onto the popped popcorn to help the wisps of Pecorino stick.
- Pecorino Romano: Find this in the grocery store specialty cheese department near the deli, but also check places like Costco. The big wedges there are usually much more affordable per ounce, and can be broken up into smaller wedges to freeze (see directions in the tips and tricks section below).
- Pepper: Freshly-ground black pepper is a key flavor in cacio e pepe anything. I keep my pepper mill stocked with this perfectly punchy European-style peppercorn blend (paid link).
- Salt: Add this to your peppery Pecorino popcorn to taste.
Making Cacio e Pepe Popcorn
Heat the coconut oil.
Add coconut oil and a few popcorn kernels to a large lidded pot. Heat over medium-high heat as the oil melts and listen closely for the first kernel to pop - it'll take several minutes.
Pop your popcorn.
Pour in the rest of the kernels, place the lid on the pot, and give it a shuffle back and forth to coat the kernels in melted coconut oil. Reduce the heat slightly then cook, alternating between setting the pot on the burner and shuffling it to keep the bottom kernels from burning. The popping will ramp up, then slow down to several seconds between pops. Remove pot from the heat then.
Toss with toppings.
Remove the lid so the popcorn doesn't get soggy from trapped steam, then drizzle melted butter onto the popped popcorn and give it a nice stir to disperse it. Scatter the Pecorino over top, stirring frequently, then crack black pepper and salt over top, to taste. Enjoy right away.
Tips and Tricks
- Pecorino substitute: While it wouldn't be the *most* authentic as far as cacio e pepe goes, Parmesan can be used in place of the Pecorino for a tasty pepper and Parmesan popcorn. Please freshly grate from a wedge vs. the shelf-stable canisters as the flavor is just that much better.
- Storing Pecorino Romano: Have part of your wedge of Pecorino left over? Wrap in snugly in parchment paper and store in in the fridge in a sealable container or plastic bag. It can usually last for a month or longer this way.
- Freezing Pecorino Romano: That said, if I buy a huge block from Costco, I usually chop it up into smaller pieces, wrap each snugly in plastic wrap, and then freeze in an air-tight zip-top bag to really extend its life. Transfer blocks to the fridge as needed, though they're grate-able right from frozen if you don't have time to thaw. In my experience Pecorino can become a bit more brittle and crumbly after it's been frozen, but since it's usually grated, it works just fine.
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Cacio e Pepe Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons refined coconut oil (must be refined)
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted fine
- 1 cup finely-grated Pecorino Romano more or less to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Grate the Pecorino Romano on the finer side of a box grater before beginning as the popcorn-making process moves quickly.
- Place the coconut oil and three of the popcorn kernels into a large pot with a lid. Set the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat, place the lid fully on the pot, and listen closely as the coconut oil melts until you hear the first kernel pop. Once that happens, pour in the remaining kernels and place the lid back on the pot. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Using oven mitts, grab the pot's handles and shake the pot back-and-forth to get all the kernels moving so they get coated evenly in the melted coconut oil. Continue to frequently shuffle the pot back and forth on the burner as the kernels heat so that the ones on the bottom don't burn.
- You'll hear the popping become more frequent, but then slow to several seconds between pops. Remove the pot from the heat at that point and stir in the melted butter to evenly coat the popcorn. Scatter small handfuls of the grated Pecorino (stir after each addition so it doesn't melt in a big clump) over top, then crack pepper and salt, if desired, to taste.
- Serve right away while warm for the best eating experience. If you have leftover popcorn, store once cooled in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Pot: Make sure to use a large lidded pot that's okay with being over medium-high heat. I use one that's stainless steel. A lid is necessary because hot oil and popcorn will jump and splatter around the pot as the kernels pop.
- Coconut oil: This must be refined (not virgin/unrefined) so that there's NO coconut flavor. Vegetable oil can be a substitute.
- Salt: Add this to taste at the end, taking into account the fact that Pecorino Romano is fairly salty and if you've used salted butter.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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