Pasta alla gricia

Pasta alla gricia is a typical dish of Lazio cuisine, particularly of Roman origin, and is considered the ancestor of amatriciana, made before the introduction of tomatoes in Italy. Here’s the recipe for making pasta alla gricia.

Ingredients

• 400 g of short pasta (rigatoni or spaghetti)
• 150 g of guanciale
• 100 g of grated Pecorino Romano
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Cut the guanciale into cubes or strips and brown it in a large pan until it becomes crispy. During cooking, the guanciale will release its fat, which will be used to flavor the pasta.
2. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the package.
3. While the pasta is cooking, remove the guanciale from the pan and set it aside, leaving the released fat in the pan.
4. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the guanciale fat. Mix well to flavor the pasta.
5. Add the crispy guanciale to the pasta and mix again.
6. Turn off the heat, add the grated Pecorino Romano and a generous grinding of black pepper. Stir everything together so that the cheese melts with the pasta water to create a creamy sauce that will wrap around the rigatoni.
7. Serve the pasta alla gricia nice and hot, adding more Pecorino and black pepper to taste.

Interesting Facts

Gricia is characterized by its simplicity and strong flavors, given by the Pecorino Romano and black pepper, which contrast with the fat and sweet taste of the guanciale. The secret to an excellent gricia is the quality of the ingredients, particularly the guanciale, which must be of excellent quality and well-cured.