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Bon Appétit

Pasta alla Gricia

4.1

(86)

Image may contain Cutlery Fork Dish Food Meal and Pasta
Marcus Nilsson

Both guanciale and Pecorino are quite salty; Leonardo Vignoli, the chef at Da Cesare al Casaletto, recommends undersalting the pasta water to give you more control.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    2 Servings

Ingredients

1

tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

6

ounces guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl), cut into ¾-inch pieces

8

ounces rigatoni

Kosher salt

2

teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, preferably ground with a mortar and pestle

3

ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated on the small holes of a box grater (about 3 cups)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Cook guanciale, stirring often, until it starts to brown and crisp, 10–15 minutes; it will shrink dramatically as the fat renders. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon; reserve skillet (do not wipe out).

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling lightly salted water, stirring occasionally, until pasta is about halfway cooked (not quite al dente); drain, reserving 1 ½ cups pasta cooking liquid.

    Step 3

    Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to reserved skillet and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, swirling often to encourage drippings and liquid to emulsify, about 1 minute. Add pasta and cook, tossing often and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is al dente and a thick, glossy sauce forms, 5–7 minutes (this second cooking is why you undercook the pasta initially).

    Step 4

    Increase heat to medium-high. Add guanciale, pepper, and two-thirds of Pecorino; toss well to combine and melt cheese. Serve pasta topped with remaining Pecorino.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 1290 Fat (g) 90 Saturated Fat (g) 35 Cholesterol (mg) 105 Carbohydrates (g) 86 Dietary Fiber (g) 4 Total Sugars (g) 5 Protein (g) 29 Sodium (mg) 3270
Explore Bon AppétitPastaItalianEuropeanGuancialeCured MeatMeatRigatoniPasta & NoodlesPecorinoCheeseEasyWeeknight MealsMainNut-FreeDinner
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Reviews (86)

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  • This was so simple and utterly delicious! I added some garlic once the guanciale was cooked, but apart from that, the recipe was easy to follow with great results.

    • Anonymous

    • Malta

    • 5/13/2020

  • This was the second time I have made this dish. The first time, from a different recipe, was kind of greasy. This was perfect! I used pancetta, as guanciale was not available. Additionally, I used spaghetti, as I was out of rigatoni and don't like it that much anyway. This is so simple and the ingredients come together to make something SO delicious. I will be making this again! Thank you, bon appetit.

    • Anonymous

    • Bloomington, MN

    • 8/6/2020

  • superb. I made this recipe with homemade pasta dough (Rick Martinez's BA recipe) and pancetta (couldnt find guanciale) and it was some of the best pasta ive had. Super simple.

    • J

    • New York

    • 11/29/2020

  • Visited the recommended restaurant several years ago on a trip to Italy & it was so memorable… have recreated the experience at home during lockdown with this wonderful recipe. Searching our local Italian grocers for guanciale was worth the effort! Wonderful recipe!

    • K

    • Toronto

    • 7/31/2021

  • Omg DELICIOUS! This is a new pasta staple.

    • Veronica

    • Montreal

    • 10/23/2023