What is pasta alla Gricia?

Pasta Alla Gricia is one of the four classic Roman pasta dishes; Carbonara, Alla Gricia, Amatriciana, and Cacio e Pepe. Each of the four dishes uses an assortment of the same few ingredients. They are all relatively simple and straightforward and, if done properly, create magic greater than the sum of its parts.

Alla Gricia only requires only a handful of cheap ingredients, basic knowledge of the kitchen, and no fancy tools or equipment.

Gricia is basically carbonara with no eggs or amatriciana with no tomatoes. It is the least known of the four classic Roman pasta dishes and does not get the recognition it deserves.

It is a stunning pasta dish that comprises only three ingredients (if you don’t count pasta, pasta water, and salt): guanciale, pecorino romano, and black pepper!

Alla Gricia Ingredients

Guanciale: You will see guanciale in three out of four of the classic Roman pasta dishes, so what is it exactly? Guanciale comes from the cheek or jowl of the pig. It is fatty and rich and when cooked renders its soft fat easily. Guanciale is salt cured with spices; typically salt, pepper, sage, and rosemary. It is hang-dried for months to develop its flavor and where it loses 30% of its moisture. This process gives it a rich, meaty, umami taste, and its flavor is not lost to the smoke flavor that you find in bacon.

Pecorino Romano: Pecorino is made from 100% sheep’s milk. Pecorino Romano has Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status under the European Union so make sure when you are buying it you are buying the correct stuff! The cheese is hand salted and aged for a minimum of 5 months. It has a hard, dry, granular texture similar to other hard, aged cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano. The flavor is sharp, umami, and strong.

Pasta: My favorite pasta to use when making pasta alla gricia is rigatoni rigate or mezzi paccheri. When using dried pasta try to look for a rough almost dusty-looking pasta or labeled “brass extruded”. This will give the pasta texture on the outside that is better for holding the sauce and creating a more starchy pasta water which is extremely important for this dish.

Tips:

Cook the guanciale on medium-low heat to render as much fat as possible.
Cook the pasta for 3-4 minutes less than the cooking directions and finish cooking the pasta in the pan.
Do not add too much pasta water to the dish, it should have a texture that coats the back of a spoon.
Transfer the pasta, pasta water, guanciale fat, and guanciale mixture into a bowl before adding pecorino romano to ensure a lower .temperature so that the cheese does not separate.

Step-by-Step Guide

Start boiling your water in a wide low pot and add salt, less than you would usually add when making pasta. The low pot will allow you to use less water, producing starchier water for later.

Cut your guanciale into 1/2-inch cubes and place them into a pan and start cooking on medium-low heat. Once most of the fat has rendered and the guanciale is golden brown and crispy, remove the meat from the pan leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

While your guanciale cooks and once your water is boiling add the pasta of your choice. My favorite is rigatoni rigate or mezzi paccherii. Cook for three minutes less than the instructions listed on the box. Drain and reserve 2 cups of pasta water.

Transfer the partially cooked pasta to the pan with the rendered fat from the guanciale and add half the reserved pasta water. Continue to cook the pasta until al dente. Add more pasta water if needed, you may not need to use the full 2 cups. You should have an emulsified creamy sauce texture once this step is done.

Add ¾ of the guanciale back to the pan and toss.

Remove the pan from the heat, and start adding your pecorino while mixing constantly until fully emulsified. If your pan is too hot the cheese could separate and ruin the dish! To avoid this completely transfer your pasta and emulsified sauce to a separate large bowl, add your pecorino to the bowl while stirring constantly until creamy, and add freshly cracked black pepper.

Transfer to bowls and top with freshly grated pecorino romano, more freshly cracked black pepper and remaining guanciale.