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Pasta alla Gricia Recipe: Tips for Making the Pasta Dish

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jun 13, 2024 • 3 min read

A staple of Roman cuisine, pasta alla Gricia is a dish of pasta coated in an emulsion of rendered pork fat, starchy pasta water, Pecorino cheese, and black pepper. Though the ingredients are simple, proper technique is the key to success in this dish.

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What Is Pasta alla Gricia?

Pasta alla Gricia is a Roman dish made with dry pasta, guanciale, Pecorino cheese, and black pepper. The dish starts with guanciale, a cured meat product (like bacon) made from pork jowl that’s high in fat and perfect for rendering to create a silky sauce. After rendering the guanciale, bloom black pepper in the fat, ensuring a hint of peppery flavor throughout each bite. Next, add some starchy pasta to aid in the emulsification of the fat and pepper to make a glossy sauce that coats the pasta. Garnish with Pecorino Romano cheese for a tangy finish.

There are four classic Roman pasta dishes: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and alla Gricia. Each uses slightly different techniques and ingredients and has its own place in the canon of Italian food. Pasta alla Gricia may be the less famous of the four, but Italian chefs and home cooks love it for its simplicity and celebration of quality ingredients.

Pasta alla Gricia vs. Pasta Carbonara: What’s the Difference?

While similar in their ingredient lists, the key difference between pasta alla Gricia and pasta carbonara is eggs. An emulsion of starchy pasta water and pork fat helps thicken pasta alla Gricia’s sauce, while the silky texture of carbonara sauce comes from an egg emulsion.

To make carbonara, mix whole eggs, egg yolks, and grated Pecorino Romano cheese in a bowl with hot pasta and rendered guanciale. Residual heat from the pasta cooks the eggs, resulting in a creamy, thick sauce.

3 Tips for Making Pasta alla Gricia

This simple pasta dish is all about the ingredients and technique.

  1. 1. Source quality ingredients. This recipe has a short shopping list, so the quality of each component is crucial to the dish’s success. Check out a local specialty Italian shop for the best Pecorino, dry pasta, and guanciale. If you’re having a hard time finding guanciale, pancetta will work in a pinch.
  2. 2. Stir vigorously to emulsify the sauce. To achieve the creamy emulsion of pork fat and starchy pasta water, you’ll need to keep things moving in the pan. Use a large, high-sided skillet to make sure you can stir and swirl the pan without any pasta slipping out.
  3. 3. Use less water to cook the pasta. Traditionally, you cook dry pasta in a large amount of water. This recipe calls for using a few cups less than what you might normally use. Cooking the pasta in a smaller amount of water concentrates the starches that get released as the pasta cooks, ensuring you’ll attain the creamy emulsion you’re looking for in this dish.

Authentic Pasta alla Gricia Recipe

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9 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

prep time

5 min

total time

30 min

cook time

25 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    In a large skillet, cook the guanciale over medium heat until it’s a golden color, about 15–20 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to ensure the fat renders before the meat gets crispy.

  2. 2

    While the guanciale renders, bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot.

  3. 3

    Once crispy, remove the guanciale from the pan, and use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

  4. 4

    Add the black pepper to the pork fat and reduce the heat to low, allowing the pepper to infuse the fat for a minute or so.

  5. 5

    Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and cook until just under al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. The pasta should be slightly chalky in the center. (It will finish cooking in the sauce.)

  6. 6

    Add 1 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pork fat. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, reducing the mixture by about half.

  7. 7

    Reserve 1 more cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.

  8. 8

    Add the pasta to the skillet and swirl the pan. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to emulsify the sauce and thoroughly coat the pasta, adding more pasta cooking water if necessary.

  9. 9

    Add half the grated cheese to the pasta and continue to stir until the cheese incorporates into the sauce. The result should be glossy and creamy.

  10. 10

    Stir in the reserved crispy guanciale, and transfer the pasta to warmed serving bowls.

  11. 11

    Garnish the pasta with the remaining Pecorino and a crack of black pepper. Serve hot.

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