MACARONI A LA GRICIA

Crispy guanciale and pecorino pasta

This is one of the 4 classic Roman pasta dishes, together with Cacio & Pepe, Amatriciana, and the wildly popular Carbonara.

Gricia - pronounced gree-cha - is often described as a "white amatriciana," or "carbonara without eggs" because they share their basic ingredients, but this descriptions don't give Gricia the credit it deserves.

This recipe is perfect for someone wishing to learn how to cook Italian food, because it calls for only a handful of inexpensive staple ingredients and it doesn't require much of a time commitment, but the result will make you look like a seasoned chef!

In fact, combining guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino romano cheese, black pepper and a hint of pasta water you can create a silky and crispy sauce with a flavour that packs a punch.

A little history

This recipe belongs to the Italian cucina povera – that collection of traditional cooking techniques and recipes that originated from Italy's rural peasant populations. In fact it is said that Gricia was invented by the shepherds of Lazio, who prepared this simple but substantial dish with the few ingredients they had available.

It is considered the ancestor of Amatriciana as the main difference between the two lies in the tomato sauce, which is absent in pasta alla Gricia. This is because its origin even predates the America’s discovery and the introduction of the plant of tomato into Europe that followed.

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INGREDIENTS👇🏻

• 160g | 5.6oz macaroni or rigatoni pasta

• 120g | 4.2oz guanciale

• 160g | 5.6oz Pecorino cheese

• black peppercorns to taste

• 1 handful of coarse sea salt for cooking water

The recipe step by step

1. Chop and sizzle the guanciale on low heat, once crispy separate it from its sizzling fat and set aside
   

2. Grind the peppercorns and grate finely the Pecorino cheese
   

3. Bring the cooking water to boil, salt it and add the macaroni or rigatoni pasta
   

4. When cooked, without throwing away the cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the warm guanciale melted fat
   

5. Add the freshly grinded black pepper and stir thoroughly
   

6. Add 60g | 2.1oz of Pecorino cheese, some cooking water and stir thoroughly – repeat this step twice
   

7. Let it rest for 2 minutes…
   

8. Plate it and add the crispy guanciale and the remaining Pecorino cheese on top 😋