Cheesy cacio e pepe rolls, warm from the oven

For all the times that feeding yourself feels like trudging through a fog of obligation, sometimes a craving arrives fully formed, as if it’s been plotting in the background.

That happened a few weeks ago, standing at the bakery case of a local Italian grocery, my eyes scanning the glass like a pinball — trifle dishes of tiramisu, ricotta crostatas, pignoli cookies — before finally landing on a tray of cinnamon rolls, freshly glazed and audaciously perfect.

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Almost like an old-school cartoon tennis match, my gaze ping-ponged between the cinnamon rolls and the sleeve of Alessi 4-Minuti Cacio e Pepe (not authentic, yes, but a surprisingly fun side when pressed for time). Back and forth, back and forth, until it landed: I want a cacio e pepe roll.

I checked out, darted to the coffe