Pasta alla Gricia (Roman Guanciale Pecorino Black Pepper Pasta)
Quick answer
Pasta alla Gricia is one of Rome's four classic pastas, made with only guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper.
What makes this special
- Roman guanciale fat, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper create a rich, emulsified sauce base.
- Guanciale rendered low-and-slow provides all fat for the sauce
- Pecorino and pasta water emulsify into cream-free richness
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Cut 120 g guanciale into long strips about 5 mm wide, and grate 60 g Pecorin...
- 2 Set the guanciale in a cold pan over low heat and cook for about 8 minutes.
- 3 Cook 200 g spaghetti in salted water with 1 teaspoon salt until 1 minute shy of al dente.
Pasta alla Gricia is one of Rome's four classic pastas, made with only guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The cured pork jowl is rendered slowly until crisp, and its fat becomes the foundation of the sauce. Cooked pasta and a splash of starchy pasta water are tossed with finely grated Pecorino to form a creamy emulsion without any cream. It is considered the ancestor of both carbonara and amatriciana, predating the introduction of tomato and egg to those dishes. Serving it soon after cooking keeps the intended texture clearer, while brief resting lets the sauce or broth settle into the dish.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Cut 120 g guanciale into long strips about 5 mm wide, and grate 60 g Pecorino Romano as finely as possible.
Keep the cheese loose and dry, because coarse shreds clump instead of melting into the sauce.
- 2Control
Set the guanciale in a cold pan over low heat and cook for about 8 minutes.
Let the fat turn clear and the edges crisp slowly, lowering the heat if the pieces brown too quickly.
- 3Finish
Cook 200 g spaghetti in salted water with 1 teaspoon salt until 1 minute shy of al dente.
Before draining, reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water so the sauce can loosen without becoming watery.
- 4Finish
Add the drained spaghetti to the guanciale pan with 1/2 cup reserved pasta water.
Toss over medium low heat for about 1 minute until the fat and water look glossy and lightly emulsified.
- 5Control
Turn off the heat, or reduce it to the lowest setting, then add the Pecorino and 1 teaspoon black pepper in batches.
Toss quickly with tongs so the cheese melts gradually instead of cooking into lumps.
- 6Finish
If the sauce feels too thick, add the remaining pasta water a spoonful at a time until it coats the noodles thinly.
Serve immediately while the guanciale stays crisp and the sauce is glossy.
After the steps
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