Dive into the heritage of Roman cuisine with this 4-ingredient Pasta Alla Gricia recipe. The age-old blueprint for classics like carbonara and amatriciana combines pasta, guanciale, pecorino romano, and black pepper into a dish that's rich in history and flavor!
Not only do I love making authentic Italian dishes in my kitchen, but I love the history that surrounds them, too! Pasta alla Gricia is the original Roman pasta and has deep roots in the creation of lots of traditional Italian cuisine.
Its creation predates the tomato-infused amatriciana before tomatoes became a staple in Italian cuisine in the 1800s. Time-honored, Gricia's savory simplicity continues to hold a place at the Italian table.
Making pasta alla Gricia is straightforward and satisfying. Boil your pasta, but stop before it’s fully done, as it'll finish in the pan with the sauce. Crisp up the guanciale in a pan, remove it, and then toss the pasta in the leftover fat with a bit of the pasta water for that silky texture. Mix grated pecorino with water to make a smooth paste, combine with your pasta, and top with the guanciale.
In no time, you've got yourself a plate of silky, cheesy, salty pork goodness with a peppery kick!
Gricia pasta is perfect for a quick weeknight meal, a cozy Sunday dinner, or for serving at a dinner party. Pair it with a crisp green salad, some crusty bread to mop up the sauce, and a glass of your favorite white wine for an Italian classic meal that’s made simple and flavorful.
And if you love Roman-style pasta dishes, try out my authentic Italian recipes for Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe!
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🇮🇹 Origins
Despite its place as the founding dish of the Roman pastas, the name alla gricia is somewhat of a mystery. Some say it originates from the town of Grisciano, in the region of Lazio, where the dish was first made by shepherds in the fields, because they had these ingredients with them - pecorino romano, guanciale and pasta.
Others say it derives from the Grici, a group of breadmakers/food merchants of Rome whose history supposedly traced back to the Grigioni canton of Switzerland. The grici, it is said, were poorer tradesmen, who would make pasta quickly and with few ingredients available, and so with pecorino, pork, and a little pepper, the dish became known as pasta alla gricia.
Whether any of this is true, I'm not so sure! For every tale told, there is another waiting to be heard. The truth of the origin remains with the secrets of history, but what is true enough is that alla gricia is a beautiful, silky pasta that is gave us the classic Roman pastas. As for where the name originates, I'll leave that to your imagination.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- With hearty guanciale and sharp pecorino, it's Italian comfort food at its finest.
- Only four ingredients and basic kitchen tools are needed for an Italian restaurant-quality meal.
- Ready in a flash, this dish fits perfectly into a busy life when you need something tasty and comforting but don’t have a lot of time.
- Creatively adaptable, this pasta dish allows you to mix in your own twists or substitutions to make it your own.
🧀 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mezze Maniche Pasta - Spaghetti is the most traditional pasta to use for this dish, but I love using this short version of rigatoni. Short and stout, these pasta tubes catch all the saucy goodness, giving you a perfect bite every time.
- Guanciale - Cured pork cheek cut into strips brings a delicate texture and a deep, rich flavor that's the backbone of the dish. It is similar to the taste of bacon with a high-fat content that melts right into the dish.
- Pecorino Romano - A hard, salty sheep cheese that, when grated, melts into a creamy, tangy element, binding everything together. It’s important to use a high-quality pecorino romano for the most authentic flavor and texture.
- Salt and Pepper - Essential seasonings that heighten the dish's flavors, with salt bringing out the pasta's wheaty taste and pepper adding a warm, spicy note.
👩🏽🍳 How To Make Pasta Alla Gricia
Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add salt. Add the pasta and cook for half of the time indicated on the package just before it becomes al dente. Reserve some pasta water for the sauce.
Cook the guanciale: (photo 1-2) Add the cured pork jowl into a cold skillet that is large enough to hold the cooked pasta. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Remove the pork from the pan, but keep the rendered fat inside.
Mix pasta with fat: (photo 3) Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the pork fat. Pour in a ladle of pasta water and stir.
Make a cheese paste: (photo 4) Add the grated pecorino romano to a bowl. Pour in some pasta water and mix until a paste is formed.
Make the sauce: (photo 5-6) Let the pasta cook in the pan with the fat. The pasta will release its starch, and a creamy consistency will start to form without the dish becoming completely dry. Remove from heat.
Add the cheese: (photo 6-7) Add the pecorino paste to the pasta and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. If the pecorino cream needs to be thinned out a bit more, add more pasta water.
Assemble and garnish: (photo 8-9) Add the cooked pork and mix until combined. Plate while hot and garnish with cracked black pepper and additional pecorino romano. Enjoy!
Add the cheese: (photo 6-7) Add the pecorino paste to the pasta and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. If the pecorino cream needs to be thinned out a bit more, add more pasta water.
Assemble and garnish: (photo 8-9) Add the cooked pork and mix until combined. Plate while hot and garnish with cracked black pepper and additional pecorino romano. Enjoy!
🗒️ Recipe Tips
- It's recommended to weigh the pecorino as opposed to measure it in cups - this will give you a more accurate measurement and ensure you're using the correct amount of cheese (because everyone grates cheese differently, which will affect the cup measurement)
- For the true Gricia experience, seek out authentic Italian guanciale; its fat content is key for a rich and flavorful sauce.
- Undercook your pasta by 2 minutes less than the package instructions; it will continue cooking in the sauce, ensuring it doesn't get mushy.
- Before draining, save a cup of pasta water; its starchiness is perfect for adjusting the sauce's consistency.
- Cook the guanciale over medium heat to render out the fat without burning, giving you crisp pieces and a flavorful fat base for the sauce.
- Ensure to cook the pasta in the pan with the guanciale fat for at least a few minutes so the starch releases into the pan.
- Be careful when first transferring the pasta to the pan – because water mixed with the guanciale fat will splatter.
- This dish is naturally very salty due to the use of pecorino romano and guanciale, which contain a lot of salt. Besides lightly salting the pasta water, there is no need to add additional salt to this dish. Be prepared for this dish to be on the salty side.
- Pasta alla Gricia is best enjoyed hot off the stove, so serve it right after cooking to savor the creamy sauce and crispy guanciale at their peak.
🌶️ Variations
- If guanciale is hard to come by, pancetta or even smoked bacon can provide a similarly rich, meaty foundation for the dish with a smoky twist.
- Swap Pecorino Romano for Parmigiano-Reggiano if you prefer a nuttier, less salty cheese profile in your pasta.
- Use gluten-free pasta to accommodate dietary restrictions without compromising on the authentic texture and taste.
- Add a crunch by tossing in some lightly sautéed asparagus or zucchini for a fresh vegetable element.
- Sprinkle in red pepper flakes while cooking the guanciale for those who favor a spicy note in their pasta.
- Shave some fresh truffles on top before serving, or drizzle with truffle oil for an indulgent, earthy flavor.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or basil to add a pop of color and a fresh, herbal brightness to the dish.
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storing: Allow the dish to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, gently warm it in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of water to help the sauce regain its creamy consistency.
Freezing: If you plan to freeze pasta alla Gricia, it's best to undercook the pasta a bit more, as it will continue to soften when thawed and reheated. Freeze in a well-sealed container or a freezer bag for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat slowly in a pan, adding a bit of water or broth to loosen up the sauce as needed.
❓FAQs
To prevent clumping, make sure the pecorino is finely grated and create a paste with some pasta water before adding it to the pan, ensuring a smoother integration with the pasta. Also keep adding pasta water to get the sauce to a smooth consistency.
Pasta alla Gricia is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prepare the guanciale in advance and cook the pasta up to the point before mixing it with the sauce. When ready to serve, reheat the guanciale, finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, and combine with the cheese.
Pasta alla gricia is very creamy and silky, and has quite a bit of bite to it from the pecorino romano and black pepper. It also tastes a bit smoky from the guanciale. Due to the saltiness of its ingredients (pecorino romano and guanciale), it is also quite naturally salty.
🍝 More Authentic Italian Pasta Dishes
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Recipe
Pasta Alla Gricia
Ingredients
- 250 grams mezze maniche pasta
- 1 cup guanciale cut into strips
- 2 ½ cups (120g) grated pecorino romano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add salt. Throw the pasta in and cook until it's before al dente (Cook for about half the indicated time on the package)– this is important because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Be sure to reserve some pasta water.
- Just before the pasta boils and you throw the pasta into the water, throw the guanciale into a large cold pan that will also fit the pasta.
- Turn the heat up to medium and let the guanciale cook until crispy - about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan, but keep the rendered fat in. If the pasta isn't ready by this time, remove from the burner.
- Add the al dente pasta to the pan (still over medium heat) with the rendered guanciale fat. Add a ladle of pasta water as well.
- While the pasta is finishing in the pan, place the grated pecorino in a bowl, and add a bit of pasta water to it. Mix with a fork until a paste forms.
- Let the pasta cook for a few minutes until cooked to desired consistency (al dente), so it releases its starches and a creamy consistency starts to form when mixed with the guanciale fat. Add more pasta water if needed. There should be a little bit of liquid left at the bottom of the pan, it shouldn't be completely dry. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the pecorino paste to the pasta. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- If the pecorino cream needs to be thinned out a bit more, add more pasta water. Add the ground black pepper.
- Add the gunaciale and mix again until evenly distributed in the pasta.
- Plate, top with additional black pepper and grated pecorino if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
-
- It's recommended to weigh the pecorino as opposed to measure it in cups - this will give you a more accurate measurement and ensure you're using the correct amount of cheese (because everyone grates cheese differently, which will affect the cup measurement). For context, I grated my pecorino with a microplane.
- For the true Gricia experience, seek out authentic Italian guanciale; its fat content is key for a rich and flavorful sauce.
-
- Undercook your pasta by 2 minutes less than the package instructions; it will continue cooking in the sauce, ensuring it doesn't get mushy.
-
- Before draining, save a cup of pasta water; its starchiness is perfect for adjusting the sauce's consistency.
-
- Cook the guanciale over medium heat to render out the fat without burning, giving you crisp pieces and a flavorful fat base for the sauce.
-
- Ensure to cook the pasta in the pan with the guanciale fat for at least a few minutes so the starch releases into the pan.
-
- Be careful when first transferring the pasta to the pan – because water mixed with the guanciale fat will splatter.
-
- This dish is naturally very salty due to the use of pecorino romano and guanciale, which contain a lot of salt. Besides lightly salting the pasta water, there is no need to add additional salt to this dish. Be prepared for this dish to be on the salty side.
-
- Pasta alla Gricia is best enjoyed hot off the stove, so serve it right after cooking to savor the creamy sauce and crispy guanciale at their peak.
Dave Barnes says
not 1800’s, but 1800s
Brought to You by the Committee to Save the Apostrophe from Abuse
Jo says
Pina,
I love your recipes! But, I cannot find guanciale anywhere near me! Is there a way to order it online, or is substituting with pancetta okay??
All the best,
Jo
Pina says
Hi Jo! Yes, pancetta is a perfectly fine substitute. Just make sure to add a little oil when cooking it as I find it needs some help to cook down.
-Pina
ellie says
Just want to say that this was amazing! So simple but amazing flavors and textures worthy of a dinner party. I really appreciate the clear instructions and photos as a guide. So happy I found your blog!
Pina says
Thanks Ellie! I am so glad you liked it!
-Pina
Valerie C says
We recently visited Italy and I had Pasta Alla Gricia there. I found myself thinking about it and wishing I could have it again. I found your recipe and it did not disappoint. The flavors and textures were almost identical to what I had in Rome. So delicious. And I was delighted to find it was not a difficult dish to make. Your instructions and pictures were so helpful. My husband said we can put this in our regular dinner recipe rotation!
Pina says
Thank you Valerie! I'm so glad you liked it. Roman pasta dishes are the best - I'm glad this version reminds you of the one you had in Rome.