The idea of adding a puddle of ricotta on your cacio e pepe comes from Sora Margherita, a Roman-Jewish restaurant in Rome that’s been around in the 1920s, and likely hasn’t changed much since then. I’ve substituted whipped ricotta in place of plain ricotta.

Ingredients.

• 1 pound pasta of choice
• 2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan or a combination
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• Whipped Ricotta Cheese, for serving

Procedure

1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the Pecorino Romano, the pepper, and a small ladle of pasta cooking water. Using the back of a large wooden spoon, mix vigorously and quickly to form a paste.
3. When the pasta is cooked, quickly add it to the cheese sauce, keeping the cooking water boiling on the stove. Toss vigorously, adjusting with a tablespoon or two of hot water as necessary to melt the cheese and create a sauce that coats the pasta. 
4. Divide among 4 plates and sprinkle each portion with some of the remaining Pecorino Romano.
5. Dollop a heaping spoonful (close to 1/2 cup) of Whipped Ricotta Cheese  in the middle of the pasta piles, and garnish with pepper. Serve pronto.