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Pasta alla gricia served on a plate and topped with guanciale.
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5 from 1 vote

Pasta alla Gricia

One of the four Roman pasta dishes, Pasta alla Gricia is a delicious pasta dish made from the fat rendering of guanciale, pasta water, and black pepper.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 510kcal
Author: Vincent DelGiudice
Cost: $15

Equipment

  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 large pot

Ingredients

  • ½ lb Rigatoni
  • 1 cup pecorino romano, finely grated
  • 2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 oz guanciale

Instructions

  • Chop the guanciale and place it in the saucepan. Raise the heat to medium. Slowly fry the guanciale until the fat renders and the meat becomes crispy and golden brown. It should take about 8 minutes. Set the guanciale aside and lower the heat to medium-low.
  • While the guanciale is frying, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add your rigatoni and boil for 1-2 minutes more than half the directed time on the box. Save a cup of the pasta water.
  • Add the pepper to the oil in the pan and then add ½ cup of pasta water. Strain the rigatoni and add them to the saucepan. Let the pasta simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes, tossing continuously to emulsify the fat and pasta water.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes. Add in half of the pecorino and continuously stir or toss the pasta. Add another tablespoon or 2 of pasta water and continue tossing as you slowly add the rest of the pecorino. The sauce should be forming into a slight runny sauce similar to a runny egg.
  • Remove the pasta from the pan and serve.

Notes

  1. Always fry guanciale starting in a cold pan to perfectly render the fat and crisp the meat to a golden brown. 
  2. Emulsifying the sauce is an important step when you're tossing the pasta. Once you add the pasta to the fat and water, continue tossing or stirring for 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to become creamy. 
  3.  Finely grated fresh pecorino is the way to go because the cheese won't clump up in the sauce. Just make sure you remove the pan from the heat before adding the pecorino. 

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1709mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 1mg