Rigatoni alla gricia (pasta with guanciale) 

Pasta alla gricia is considered the ancestor of pasta all'amatriciana, with which it shares the use of guanciale and Pecorino Romano. Unlike the latter, it does not include tomato sauce since its origin would even predate its import into Europe. It is said that the recipe of gricia was invented by the Lazio shepherds who, with the few ingredients available, prepared a dish as simple as it was substantial. A pasta alla gricia made to perfection must be creamy and tasty with the only help of cheese and cooking water: I have chosen rigatoni to collect this tasty condiment but a long format such as spaghetti, bucatini or tonnarelli will also be perfect!

Like any traditional recipe, there are small variations that can make a difference. What I give you today is the original recipe of gricia! that I learned to cook thanks to the tricks of my Roman chef friends! It is a very easy and fast preparation! You can use both rigatoni or spaghetti, important that they are of excellent quality! The secret to having a creamy gricia pasta is to make a pecorino paste where to stir the pasta at low temperature. This will form a velvety dressing in which the pasta will be perfectly seasoned! A few minutes and it is ready to serve! 

Ingredients

Rigatoni (320 g)

Guanciale (250 g) - (already peppered)

Pecorino Romano cheese (60 g) - to grate

Fine salt to taste

Preparation

To prepare pasta alla gricia, first place a pot full of water on the burner that will be used to cook the pasta. At this point take the guanciale and cut slices 1/2" (1 cm) thick. Then separate any rind that may be present (you can keep it in the fridge and use it in other recipes, such as soups) and from the slices you get strips about 1/8" (half a cm) thick. Pour the guanciale into a pan already hot, without adding more fat; Let it sizzle on medium heat for about ten minutes until it is golden and crisp, taking care not to burn it. In the meantime the water will have come to a boil, salt and cook the pasta; while the pasta cooks, finely grate Pecorino cheese. When 2 minutes are left before the pasta is done, slow down the cooking of the guanciale by adding a ladle of cooking water. The cooking of the guanciale will stop and the starch released from the pasta will create a pleasant cream. Jiggle the pan a little bit to move the pieces of guanciale. At this point your pasta is done, add it directly to the sauce, preserving the cooking water. Stir for about 1 minute, shake the pan and stir. Then remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with a third of grated Pecorino cheese and add a little more cooking water if necessary.  Stir and toss the pasta again; you will notice that a tasty cream will have been created. You can then serve pasta alla gricia and garnish each plate with the remaining Pecorino cheese.

STORAGE

I recommend eating it immediately. If you prefer, pasta alla gricia can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day. Freezing is not recommended.

TIPS

Guanciale should be cooked in a hot pan over medium heat, checking occasionally to avoid burning it. If the guanciale you use is not already peppered on the outside, add grated black pepper to taste while cooking.