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spaghetti with pecorino and pepper

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This is an extremely simple pasta dish, and, according to David Downe in his wonderful book "Cooking the Roman Way" (see library) it is also one of the most tasty in the Roman repertoire. The Romans, he reports, love plenty of black pepper. Here's the chance to use it.

for the sauce:

one and one-half cups of pecorino Romano
one tablespoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper.

for the pasta:

one pound spaghetti

Bring 4-5 quarts of cold water to a heavy boil. Add a couple tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta, stirring it well to get it separated and mixed. Cook to al dente. Reserve a half cup of the cooking liquid. Then drain fairly well, but a little wetness is a plus here.

Change of pace here: After draining the pasta, put it back in the same pot. Add the pecorino and the half cup of water, and stir in a cup of the pecorino. Mix it well. Then add the pepper and stir some more.

Serve immediately, adding more pecorino to the serving as wanted.