Spaghetti alla Gricia
The key ingredient in Spaghetti alla Gricia is guanciale, cured pork jowl. Guanciale is also traditionally used in the classic Roman Pasta dishes, Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Since guanciale is not easy to find outside of Rome and the Lazio region in Italy, and until recently impossible here in the U.S., substituting pancetta for the guanciale in those dishes has become commonplace. However, I would not make that substitution with this dish, because guanciale is the centerpiece here, and it would not be the same. Spaghetti alla Gricia, is sometimes referred to as Amatriciana in Bianco, which means White Amatriciana, because it is made without tomatoes.
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Spaghetti alla Gricia Recipe
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces guanciale, cut into1/4 inch slices, then chopped coarsely
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large sautè pan over medium heat. Add the guanciale and the hot pepper and sautè until guanciale is crisp. Remove from the heat.
- Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook uncovered over high heat until al dente.
- Place the pan with the guanciale back over medium heat. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the Pecorino Romano. Stir the pasta vigorously until guanciale and cheese are well distributed.
- Serve immediately with extra Pecorino Romano on the side.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
The Roman Pasta Quartet
Gricia is sometimes called the mother of all Roman pasta sauces, because it’s the foundation that the other Roman classics build on. Add tomato and you have Amatriciana. Add egg yolks and you have Carbonara. Strip out the guanciale and you have Cacio e Pepe.
| Dish | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Cacio e Pepe | Pasta, Pecorino Romano, black pepper |
| Spaghetti alla Gricia | Cacio e Pepe + guanciale |
| Bucatini all’Amatriciana | Gricia + tomato |
| Spaghetti alla Carbonara | Gricia + egg yolks |
Tools and Ingredients I Use for this Recipe:
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Yum, this looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi, can we add a bit of soybean or chicken and roasted beans just for a new flavour?