Growing up in Rome, Pasta alla Gricia was an easy meal we could make ourselves during our teenage years. Using simple staples always found in the fridge-cured pork, cheese, and pepper-we could create this classic dish in minutes. The challenge was to make the creamy cheese sauce, but if we mastered the technique when we were teenagers, so can you.
While many people outside of Italy are familiar with Carbonara, in Rome we often turned to Gricia or Cacio e Pepe.
These recipes were a regular part of my life, especially when friends came over at the last minute while we were studying.
We wouldn't ask my mother to cook, so we relied on the staples we always had on hand in our family home.
Pasta alla Gricia is actually more challenging than a simple Carbonara because the Pecorino can curd.
If the cheese hits a temperature that is too high, it becomes stringy rather than melting into a smooth sauce.
I remember the first times it was not perfect, but with practice, we learned how to perfectly balance the technique.
This recipe represents the authentic way we cooked as students: fast, simple, and exactly how we really ate.
Pasta alla Gricia is a perfect example of how a few quality ingredients, like those found in the Historic Roman Markets, can be transformed into a satisfying meal without any pre-planning.
For more recipes you can make last minute with whatever you have in the fridge, you can check out: Cacio e pepe, Carbonara, Stroncatura, Pasta and Potatoes.
Ingredients
- Tonnarelli or Spaghetti: In Rome, we love to serve it with tonnarelli, a thick, square-cut egg pasta known for its firm, porous texture. However, spaghetti or rigatoni are excellent alternatives if tonnarelli are hard to find.
- Guanciale: This provides the rich fat and essential saltiness.
- Pecorino Romano: This cheese offers the sharp finish traditional to Rome.
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked pepper is vital to balance the richness of the pork.
- Starchy Pasta Water: The water used to boil the pasta is full of starch and acts as a natural thickener for the sauce.
Before you start, grate the Pecorino Romano using a fine grater to create a light, airy pile.
This texture is what allows the cheese to melt perfectly into a creamy sauce.
Do not use pre-grated cheese, as it is never as good as the fresh one.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Fill a large pot with cold water and add coarse salt as it begins to heat so the pasta is seasoned correctly.
- Cut the guanciale into small strips and place them in a pan over medium heat.
- Fry until the fat has rendered and the pork is golden and crunchy, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Cook the pasta for one minute less than the package directions to ensure it remains al dente.
- To preserve the starchy water, remove the pasta from the pot and transfer it directly to the pan using a spaghetti fork.
- Immediately stir the pasta in the pan with the fried pork to coat the noodles in the fat.
- To create the sauce without the cheese curding, add a splash of the reserved starchy water to the pan first to lower the temperature slightly.
- Add the grated Pecorino and black pepper, stirring vigorously. The combination of the starch in the water and the constant stirring creates a creamy emulsion that coats the pasta.
- Continue stirring for about a minute until the sauce is smooth and velvety, and add more starchy water or pecorino to adjust the consistency.
- Serve immediately
Serving Suggestions
This is a complete, one-dish meal that captures the simple way we ate as students.
To finish the meal properly, we would always close with a coffee made in a Moka Bialetti.
But if we were still hungry, you can pair it with the classic tiramisu we used to make in the 80s.
More Roman recipe
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The Pasta Alla Gricia We Made In Rome in the 70s
Verified Culinary AuthorityVideo
Ingredients
- 10 oz Tonnarelli
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino
- 2 oz guanciale
- 1 tablespoon salt for pasta
Instructions
- Grate the Pecorino Romano using a fine grater to create a light, airy pile.
- Fill a large pot with cold water and add coarse salt as it begins to heat so the pasta is seasoned correctly.
- Cut the guanciale into small strips and place them in a pan over medium heat.
- Fry until the fat has rendered and the pork is golden and crunchy, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Cook the pasta for one minute less than the package directions to ensure it remains al dente.
- To preserve the starchy water, remove the pasta from the pot and transfer it directly to the pan using a spaghetti fork.
- Immediately stir the pasta in the pan with the fried pork to coat the noodles in the fat.
- To create the sauce without the cheese curding, add a splash of the reserved starchy water to the pan first to lower the temperature slightly.
- Add the grated Pecorino and black pepper, stirring vigorously.
- The combination of the starch in the water and the constant stirring creates a creamy emulsion that coats the pasta.
- Continue stirring for about a minute until the sauce is smooth and velvety, and add more starchy water or pecorino to adjust the consistency.
- Serve immediately
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