Rigatoni alla Gricia 

Pasta alla Gricia is one of the oldest pasta dishes in Roman history! It uses pecorino romano and guanciale to create a mouthwatering flavor. On my recent travels to Rome, I learnt the right way to create this simple yet scrumptious dish.

Pasta alla gricia recipe among the oldest and simplest Roman first courses there are, of a unique goodness! Perhaps among the first Roman plate that I prefer, along with Cacio e pepe! It is considered the ancestor of the Amatriciana, since it was born even before the tomato was imported into Europe. For this reason it is also called Amatriciana bianca.

Gricia (also called Griscia) is composed of a few simple ingredients: pasta, guanciale, pecorino romano and black pepper. Can these ingredients create such a delicious first course? Definitely! The Gricia recipe is something shocking! Below I will explain how to prepare the perfect Rigatoni alla Gricia, exactly like in the best taverns in Rome and all of Lazio and how to have a creamy and rich in taste pasta alla gricia: in short, a Gricia as per the original recipe. I ate it several times in Trastevere and I must tell you that the one I prepare, with this recipe, has nothing to envy!

Pasta alla gricia is practically a Carbonara without egg or a Cacio e pepe with guanciale or a Pasta all'Amatriciana without tomato. Let's say that it is the basic version from where all these poor dishes of the pastoral tradition were born. But it is not just a pasta with guanciale, but a dish that tickles the senses and makes you resurrect!

To prepare the Gricia, I suggest you use rigatoni (Rigatoni alla Gricia are a must in Roman taverns), but you can also prepare Spaghetti alla gricia or Mezze Maniche alla gricia, or use tonnarelli, bucatini, penne. In short, each shape of pasta goes perfectly with the grilled sauce. Did you understand that I love it?

I just have to leave you the recipe of Pasta alla gricia, the original gricia recipe! Follow me step by step and you will have a super dish, all to taste! Below I will also leave you some curiosities, something about the history and origins of the mythical Gricia.

Ingredients

400 g pasta (rigatoni, mezze maniche, spaghetti)

300 g bacon or guanciale

140 g pecorino romano cheese

black peppercorns to taste

Method

As I explained in the other recipes of Roman first courses, to prepare the Gricia (original recipe), you will need a good guanciale, pecorino romano and black peppercorns, which I recommend grinding at the moment, perhaps using a mortar or crushing the grains with a meat tenderizer. Obviously the classic reel or pepper mill is also fine. To obtain the creaminess of the dish, which is the cornerstone of an excellent grilled pasta, you will have to adjust with the addition of cooking water. It is precisely the water, together with the starch of the pasta, that will favor a delicious cream. For the cheese, grate a piece of aged pecorino romano cheese at the moment. I do not recommend using the pecorino in a bag already grated and especially the Pecorino mix that are at the supermarket. Pasta alla Gricia is a quick first course. It will take 15 minutes in total to bring it to your table. Follow all the signs and you will have a perfect Gricia! First, heat a pot of water and bring to a boil. Grate the pecorino cheese and set aside. Clean the bacon or guanciale, removing the rind and cut it into rather thick strips. Place the strips of bacon in a pan and brown it, moving it often. When the fat part has become transparent, sizzle it in its fat for 4-5 minutes, over moderate heat, so as to have a crispy and golden bacon outside and soft inside. With a slotted spoon, remove it from the pan, so as not to overcook and keep it separately. Instead, leave its fat in the pan. Salt the pasta water, using half the dose you usually use, since the pecorino is quite savory. Boil the chosen pasta (rigatoni, mezze maniche, spaghetti, tonnarelli, etc ...) and cook al dente. I drain it 1 minute before the end of cooking. While cooking the pasta, keep aside a cup of water that will serve to stir the dish and let it cool. Once the pasta is ready, drain it in the pan where you cooked the bacon and put back on the heat. Mix the pasta with the fat of the bacon and add 2-3 ladles of cooking water kept aside. Move the rigatoni often, for 2 minutes and also add the crispy bacon kept aside.

Turn off the heat and add the grated pecorino cheese, keeping little for the final dusting. Pour 3-4 ladles of cooking water (about 1 large ladle), a little at a time, and stir, continuing to mix the pasta with the pecorino cheese. You will see that the pecorino will melt, without spinning and without making lumps, creating a spectacular cream.

Remember that this operation must be done strictly out of focus and the water must be put a little at a time: depending on the seasoning of the pecorino, it will need more or less water. When you see that the pecorino has dissolved completely, then the Pasta alla gricia is ready. Add a generous sprinkling of black pepper, stir and serve in various dishes. Decorate the portions of Gricia with another sprinkling of pecorino cheese and black pepper. Your Pasta alla gricia is ready! It is easier to do than to explain it! This is the method to have a super creamy gricia pasta. And it is that cream that will make the dish irresistible! I assure you that it will come as the traditional Roman Gricia.

Preservation

The Gricia should be made and eaten hot. It's so fast, it's not worth keeping. However, if it is left over (never happened to me), you can heat it in a pan by adding a few tablespoons of water. But I do not recommend it, as I do not advise you to freeze it.

Some curiosities

It is said that Pasta alla Gricia was invented by the Lazio shepherds who prepared this poor and substantial dish, returning from pastures or during the period of transition, to refresh, since they had these ingredients available and were also convenient to transport. Once lard was also added, which was used to grease the iron pan where it was cooked. Now we have nonstick pans!

There are various hypotheses concerning the origins of Gricia. Some say that it was invented in Grisciano, a hamlet of the municipality of Accumoli (Rieti), which claims paternity. Every year, on August 18, there is the Sagra della Gricia, in which this dish is celebrated and the Mezze Maniche alla gricia are served in quantity.

The name could also derive from "Gricio", the name with which the bread makers of the 400 immigrants from the German and Swiss regions were called. At the time they also wore the Griscium, which was the gray duster, so as not to get dirty with flour. The term Gricio, also had a derogatory meaning, to indicate a poorly dressed man with a coarse manner. The bakers were in fact dressed in a very careless way under the duster and in summer they wore ankle trousers called "er carzone a la gricia".

Another hypothesis concerns the color of Pasta alla Gricia: the union of pecorino cheese with pepper creates a gray color. But I don't know how accredited this hypothesis is.

I love retracing the origins of our traditional dishes! I would spend hours here telling you, but I know I could absolutely bore you. Prepare the Gricia recipe, enjoy it and think about me! Let me know in the comments if you try it!