Sponsored post in collaboration with Xbox Poland
Could we possibly skip a game on our blog where you can incapacitate enemies using frying pans and pots? Of course not! We’re talking about *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle*, a production by MachineGames published by Bethesda Softworks. This title not only delivers an amazing adventure with archaeology at its heart but also takes you on a culinary journey, allowing you to discover delicious treasures. Therefore, in collaboration with Xbox Poland, we’ve prepared a special video recipe inspired by the Vatican location so you can get even more immersed in the game’s atmosphere!
The locations we’ll visit during gameplay in *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle* are full of food motifs – local fruits and pastries you can grab and devour for a stamina and health boost, detailed assets and scenes showing the local culinary customs, and even full recipes for local dishes that you can find while exploring! In Italy, the locals leisurely sip coffee and savor sweet pastries while wine bottles line the cellar shelves; Egyptian markets are bursting with baskets of exotic fruits and tea drinkers, while a Thai waterside village simultaneously features a fish market, a coconut processing station, and a huge kitchen where the villagers cook meals together. Exploring through all these elements is not only incredibly immersive but also grants additional experience points when you photograph specific scenes with Indiana’s camera.
Going back to one of the game’s first locations – the Vatican – as Indy, you can feast on donuts, croissants, pistachio biscotti, oranges, apples, figs, pears, and even lemons (!), as well as add three handwritten recipes to your journal: *Saltimbocca alla Romana* (veal cutlets with Parma ham and sage), *Risotto ai Funghi* (risotto with mushrooms and wine), and *Cacio e Pepe* – pasta with cheese and pepper, which will be the star of this entry.
The recipe for *Cacio e Pepe* is an Italian classic. Although it requires only a few ingredients, it’s as tricky as the traps on Indiana’s path! It’s worth staying sharp while making it, but following the instructions below should make it smooth sailing. Interestingly, in the English version of the game, the recipe mentions 2 full teaspoons of pepper for 400g of pasta, while the Polish version says 2 tablespoons (seems like a translation error – that’s a bit too much!). We’ve allowed ourselves to adjust the amount of pepper in our recipe and added a step of mixing cheese with water separately in a bowl, as this method often yields the creamiest sauce. We also reduced the portion size – it’s much easier to master when working with a smaller amount of pasta, especially for first attempts.
So, grab your pans and pots – it’s time for a culinary adventure with delicious pasta in a bold, creamy pepper sauce! And don’t forget to check out the video below – highly recommended!
VIDEO RECIPE
[link embedd]Cacio e Pepe
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
PREPARATION TIME: 20 min
PRICE: average
SERVINGS: 1 serving
DIFFICULTY: easy
YOU’LL NEED
pot
pan
whisk
INGREDIENTS:
recipe adapted for 1 serving (original makes about 4 servings)
spaghetti pasta – 100g (preferably bronze-cut durum wheat)
pecorino Romano cheese – about 40g (+ extra for garnish)
black peppercorns – about 1/2 teaspoon (or 1 flat teaspoon)
PREPARATION
- Heat a dry pan over medium heat, toss in the peppercorns, and toast for about 1 min, shaking the pan.
- Transfer the peppercorns to a board and crush them using the bottom of a pot (or a mortar pestle) into smaller pieces (not too fine – uneven pieces are perfect).
- Finely grate the pecorino romano cheese into a separate bowl – very important for achieving a creamy sauce.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Using a medium pot is ideal, as less water means starchier water, helping to create a creamier sauce. Bronze-cut pasta is also recommended for better sauce adhesion.
- Salt the water generously (it should taste like the sea!), then drop in the pasta. Stir frequently and cook until strong al dente (about 1 minute less than package instructions), as the pasta will cook further during the next steps.
FROM STEP 6 ONWARD – WORK QUICKLY, AS TIMING AND TEMPERATURE ARE KEY!
- Drain the pasta but save the cooking water – it’s crucial for the sauce. Cover it to keep it hot.
- Place the pan over medium heat, add the crushed pepper (for a first try, add about 3/4 flat teaspoon, or just 1/2 flat teaspoon if you prefer less spice), then ladle about 120ml of the hot pasta water into the pan, stir, and simmer for about 1 minute until it reduces slightly. Add the drained pasta, toss thoroughly, and cook briefly, about 1 min more, until only a little water remains. TURN OFF THE HEAT and set the pan aside for 30 seconds to cool slightly (especially important if using ceramic or induction cooktops).
- Add a few tablespoons of hot pasta water to the bowl of grated cheese and immediately whisk vigorously until a thick cheese paste forms – do this quickly!
- Pour the cheese paste over the pasta and IMMEDIATELY toss thoroughly using a tongs and by tossing the pan. Keep mixing until you get a thick, creamy, glossy sauce. Add small splashes of more hot pasta water if needed while mixing.
- If done correctly, the cheese will fully melt into a velvety sauce clinging to the pasta. If not, transfer the pasta to a large metal bowl and briefly warm it over a water bath while mixing energetically until creamy.
- Serve the pasta immediately on a plate, top with extra pecorino, and dig in while it’s hot! Viva la cucina italiana – Buon appetito!
