Pasta alla
Gricia
Pasta with guanciale & Pecorino
Rigatoni catches a savory coating of rendered guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper, with crisp pieces of pork in every forkful.
Guanciale & Pecorino, without tomatoA little guanciale,
a generous coating.
Gricia brings together guanciale, the cured pork jowl used in Roman cooking, with Pecorino Romano and pepper. The pork slowly releases its fat before the pasta joins the pan. A little cooking water turns that fat and cheese into a sauce, while some of the guanciale stays crisp.
It belongs to Lazio’s family of boldly flavored pasta dishes. You will find both short and long pasta versions; rigatoni’s ridges and hollow centers catch the sauce particularly well. This preparation has neither the egg sauce of carbonara nor the tomato dressing of amatriciana.
Let’s make pasta alla gricia.
Render the guanciale slowly, then finish the cheese sauce away from the heat.
Four first-course portions.
What you’ll need
- 320 grigatoni
- 200 gguanciale, tough rind removed, cut into strips
- 100 gPecorino Romano, finely grated
- 1 tspcoarsely ground black pepper
- 3 lwater, for the pasta
- 1 tspfine salt, for the pasta water
The guanciale cooks while the pasta water heats. The timing allows for rendering before the final toss; keep extra pasta water nearby.
How to make it
- 01
Render the guanciale
Start heating the pasta water in a pot. Put the guanciale in a wide cold skillet. Cook over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring, until the fat has melted out and the edges are golden. Lift out half the pieces; leave the rest and about 3 tbsp fat in the pan.
- 02
Boil the rigatoni
Bring the water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta until 2 minutes short of the packet’s al dente timing. Reserve 400 ml cooking water, then drain.
- 03
Finish in the pan
Add the pepper and 150 ml pasta water to the guanciale pan. Add the pasta and toss over medium heat for about 2 minutes until al dente, adding more water if needed.
- 04
Add the Pecorino
Take the pan off the heat and let the sizzling stop. Add the cheese in three additions, tossing with splashes of reserved water until the sauce coats the pasta. Scatter over the reserved guanciale and serve.
While you’re in Lazio…
SecondiAbbacchio alla Romana
Lamb braises with garlic, rosemary and white wine, then takes on a savory, lightly sharp sauce from anchovies and vinegar.
PrimiAgnolotti del Plin
Small pinched pasta parcels hold a fine filling of braised veal, pork and spinach, dressed simply with butter and sage.
AntipastiAntipasto Misto
Cured meats, cheeses, olives and preserved vegetables make a shared Italian starter, with bread for assembling small bites.