The pasta alla gricia is one of the most famous first courses of Italian cuisine. The gricia is considered the older sister of amatriciana; in fact it is called “white amatriciana” because tomato is not used. Pasta alla gricia is a first course made with guanciale and Pecorino Romano. For this recipe you can use a short pasta shape like rigatoni, or long ones like spaghetti, tonnarelli and bucatini. With a few simple (high-quality) ingredients you’ll bring to the table a dish with an intense and enveloping flavor.
For other traditional recipes, see the collection First courses of Italian cuisine
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 7 oz pasta
- 3.5 oz guanciale (cured pork jowl)
- 1 oz Pecorino Romano
- to taste salt
Preparation
To make pasta alla gricia, cook the pasta in boiling salted water.
Remove the rind from the (peppered) guanciale, cut it into slices about 1 cm (approx. 3/8 in) thick, then into strips.
Place the guanciale in a pan and brown it over medium heat, taking care not to burn it.
Add a ladleful of the pasta’s cooking water to the guanciale.
Drain the pasta very al dente (reserving some cooking water) and add it to the pan with the guanciale.
Toss the pasta for about a minute, shaking and stirring. Add cooking water as needed.
Remove the pan from the heat and gradually mix in the grated Pecorino, adding a little cooking water as needed until you obtain a creamy sauce.
Serve the pasta alla gricia and garnish with a little grated Pecorino. Enjoy!
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