Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese and cook the pici pasta. Meanwhile, crush the black peppercorns with a meat mallet.

Add half of the crushed pepper to a large nonstick skillet and toast it over low heat, stirring with a wooden spatula. Deglaze with a couple of ladles of pasta cooking water. Drain the pici when very al dente (reserve the cooking water) and add them directly to the skillet with the toasted pepper.

Add a ladle or two of cooking water as needed to continue cooking the pici, stirring like you would for risotto. Meanwhile, place about half of the grated Pecorino in a bowl. Add a ladle of pasta cooking water to the cheese and whisk vigorously. Add the remaining Pecorino, reserving a little for serving.