Name: Rigatoni alla Gricia
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 320 g rigatoni; 200 g guanciale; 90 g pecorino romano; 0 black pepper; 0 salt

Rigatoni alla Gricia

Three ingredients, one of Rome's purest pasta plates. Guanciale, pecorino romano, and black pepper come together with starchy pasta water into a glossy sauce that clings to every ridge of the rigatoni. No tomato, no egg, no cream, no shortcuts.

🇮🇹 Italy ·Europe · $$

10 min Prep

15 min Cook

25 min Total

4 portions

Rigatoni alla gricia is one of the four canonical Roman pasta dishes, sitting alongside carbonara, amatriciana, and cacio e pepe. It is the oldest of the group and is often called the white amatriciana, since it is essentially amatriciana made before the tomato ever reached Italian kitchens. It is also regarded as the ancestor of carbonara, which later added egg yolk to the same guanciale and pecorino base. The whole dish rests on an emulsion: rendered guanciale fat and finely grated pecorino romano are bound by the starch in the pasta water until they turn creamy without a drop of cream. Crisp cubes of guanciale and a heavy grind of black pepper finish it. Done right, it tastes far richer than its short ingredient list suggests.

Ingredients

320 g rigatoni

200 g guanciale cut into thick strips or 1 cm cubes, rind removed

90 g pecorino romano finely grated, plus extra to serve

0 black pepper freshly ground, to taste

0 salt for the pasta water; keep it light since guanciale and pecorino are salty

Ingredients

4 portions

320 grigatoni

200 gguanciale cut into thick strips or 1 cm cubes, rind removed

90 gpecorino romano finely grated, plus extra to serve

black pepper freshly ground, to taste

salt for the pasta water; keep it light since guanciale and pecorino are salty

Instructions

Render the guanciale

1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the pasta. Salt it sparingly, since the guanciale and pecorino are already quite salty.
~8 min
2

Cut the guanciale into thick strips or 1 cm cubes. Place it in a cold, wide pan with no oil or butter, then set over medium-low heat. Cook slowly so the fat renders out and the meat turns golden and crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes.
~8 min
3

Lift the crisp guanciale out with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving all of the rendered fat in the pan.
~1 min

Build the pecorino emulsion

1

Finely grate the pecorino romano into a bowl. Add a tablespoon or two of slightly cooled pasta cooking water and stir into a smooth, creamy paste. Cooling the water first keeps the cheese from breaking.
~2 min
2

Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water, draining it about 2 minutes before the package time so it stays firm. Reserve at least a cup of the starchy cooking water.
~11 min

Combine and emulsify

1

Add a ladle of the reserved pasta water to the pan with the guanciale fat, then add the drained rigatoni. Toss over low heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, adding a little more pasta water as needed so the pasta turns glossy.
~2 min
2

Take the pan off the heat and let it settle for 30 seconds. Stir in the pecorino paste, tossing vigorously and loosening with a splash of pasta water until the sauce is creamy and coats every piece.
~2 min
3

Return most of the crisp guanciale to the pan and add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss once more, then serve right away with extra pecorino and the reserved guanciale on top.
~1 min

Credits & Inspiration

Tavolartegusto
Italian step-by-step ricetta originale cremosa with the pecorino-paste method to keep the sauce from breaking.
The Pasta Project
Authentic Roman recipe explaining gricia as the tomato-free ancestor of amatriciana and carbonara.
Il Cuore in Pentola
Italian recipe for the creamy original Roman gricia, detailing how the starch binds the guanciale fat.
Recipes from Italy
Authentic Roman gricia with the cold-pan rendering and off-heat emulsion technique.