Pasta alla Gricia

Method

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1. Put the guanciale in a cold, dry frying pan with the olive oil and set it over medium-low heat.

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2. Render slowly for 8 to 10 minutes until the fat has run and the pieces are golden and crisp at the edges but still yielding in the middle.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Lift the guanciale out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving all the fat in the pan.

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4. Toast the cracked pepper in that fat for 30 seconds until it smells sharp, then take the pan off the heat.

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5. Boil the pasta in salted water — less salt than usual, as the guanciale and pecorino are both salty — until 2 minutes short of al dente.

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6. Reserve two mugs of pasta water and drain.

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7. Add the pasta to the pan with a ladleful of water and return to medium heat, tossing hard for 2 minutes until the pasta finishes cooking and the water turns cloudy.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

8. Take the pan off the heat and wait 30 seconds. Add the pecorino a handful at a time, tossing constantly and adding water as needed, until the sauce is glossy and clings.

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9. Fold the guanciale back through and serve immediately, with more pecorino and pepper.

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Chef’s Tips

• Off the heat for the cheese. Pecorino in a hot pan turns to rubber strings and there is no recovering it.
• Guanciale, not pancetta. The cured jowl renders differently and its fat is the sauce.
• Keep more pasta water than you think you need. The sauce tightens as it sits and needs loosening.

Pairing Suggestions

• A Roman white such as Frascati
• Nothing else — it is a complete plate
• A puntarelle salad, in season

Storage & Reheating

Eat immediately. The emulsion breaks on reheating and cannot be brought back.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.