Fill your largest pot with 6 quarts water and bring to a rolling boil. Salt lightly (only 1½ tbsp — Pecorino adds salt).

While water heats, toast the pepper: heat small dry pan over medium-high. Add 5 tsp whole peppercorns. Shake constantly 2–3 minutes until smoking and fragrant. Immediately pour onto cutting board, crush coarsely with bottom of pan or mortar. Set aside.

Heat your widest sauté pan (14-inch) over high for 90 seconds. Add 40 g butter. When foaming, add ALL mushrooms in one layer. Do NOT stir for 4 full minutes — let them sear golden.

Toss mushrooms, season lightly, cook another 4 minutes until deeply golden and liquid gone. Add thyme + rosemary in last 30 seconds. Push to edges.

Drop pasta into boiling water. Set timer for exactly 8 minutes (it finishes in sauce).

Add remaining 20 g butter + 4 tsp cracked pepper to center of pan. Let sizzle 30 seconds until pepper is ultra-fragrant.

Reserve 3 full cups pasta water (use a heatproof jug). Using tongs, transfer pasta directly into mushroom pan (some water clinging is perfect).

Remove pan from heat completely. Add ¾ cup hot pasta water and ALL the microplaned Pecorino in 4 stages: scatter ¼, toss vigorously 20 seconds, repeat. The sauce will go from watery → creamy → glossy silk. Add more hot pasta water ¼ cup at a time if needed — never return to direct heat or it breaks.

When sauce perfectly coats each strand (should take 2–3 minutes off heat), add lemon zest and one final toss. Let rest in warm pan 4 minutes — sauce thickens to perfection.

Twirl into warmed bowls, crack extra pepper on top, drizzle a few drops of truffle oil if using, and serve immediately with chilled Frascati and zero conversation for the first minute.