🍝 Pasta alla gricia
Pasta alla gricia is a Roman pasta of rigatoni tossed with crisp guanciale (cured pork cheek), grated pecorino romano and plenty of black pepper. The rendered pork fat and starchy pasta water melt the cheese into a glossy, peppery coating. It is often called the 'white amatriciana' because it is the same dish without tomato.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g rigatoni
- 150 g guanciale, cut into strips
- 80 g pecorino romano, finely grated
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Salt for the pasta water
Method
- Cook the rigatoni in salted water until just short of al dente.
- Meanwhile render the guanciale slowly in a dry pan until crisp; keep the fat.
- Toss the pasta in the pan with a ladle of pasta water and the pepper.
- Off the heat, add the pecorino and stir quickly until creamy; serve at once.
How to make it lighter
- Use 100 g guanciale for four and pour off part of the rendered fat.
- Weigh the dry pasta: 80 g per person is a standard serving.
- Start the meal with a large vegetable starter to make a smaller plate satisfying.
History
Gricia is often described as one of the oldest Roman pastas and an ancestor of both amatriciana and carbonara. The name is usually linked to Grisciano, a village near Amatrice, or to the 'gricio' bread and grocery sellers of old Rome. It is a staple of trattorias in Rome today.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →