Pasta alla Gricia
Whether you’re a shepherd in the early days of Roma or looking for a delicious weeknight meal, Pasta alla Gricia is where it is at!
Watch the recipe video here!
Ingredients
8 oz of Rigatoni (or spaghetti)
6 oz of Guanciale (Can use pancetta, but may need more depending on fat)
1.5 oz of Pecorrino Romano cheese
1 tbsp of Tellicherry Peppercorns
2.25 quarts of salted water
Recipe
Add 2 tablespoons of water to a skillet
Add in your Guanciale and set the heat to medium low
Cook until the meat is golden brown and the fat is rendered completely (about 9 min)
Remove Guanciale and set aside on a plate
Add peppercorns to the rendered fat and let bloom for 1 minute
Turn off heat completely and let skillet sit
Bring water to a boil and add pasta
Halfway to al dente, move a cup and a half of pasta water to your skillet and set on high
After a minute move your pasta to the skillet and let it finish cooking here. Add more pasta water as necessary, but only at a quarter of a cup at a time
A minute before a;l dente add your Guanciale back to the skillet to warm up
Turn off the heat and let cool for 30 seconds
Add in half of your cheese and stir / flip vigorously to emulsify the cheese. If you see it clumping add a little more pasta water
Add in the remaining cheese and continue to emulsify for another minute or two until the cheese dissolves into a creamy white sauce
Serve immediately with additional cheese or pepper as desired
