How to make Massimo’s pasta alla gricia

Do you like crispy guanciale, pecorino cheese and bucatini pasta? Then pasta alla gricia is for you. Here’s a recipe that you’re going to love! It’s quick and easy to make and mouthwateringly delicious. Read on for Massimo’s (the dad of my Italian boyfriend) recipe!

What is pasta alla gricia?

Pasta alla gricia is a delicious dish that originates from the Lazio region of Italy. Lazio is home to many fantastic, well-known pasta dishes such as carbonara and cacio al pepe, but this one seems to be a little less known worldwide. The traditional recipe calls for pecorino romano cheese, guanciale (cured pig’s cheek), black pepper and pasta. Some classic pasta shapes that go well here include bucatini, tonnarelli or even a short pasta like rigatoni. It bears some resemblance to the pasta alla amatriciana without the tomatoes. If you’re interested in learning more about the history behind this dish, Pasta Project has a great post all about it.

What wine do you serve with pasta alla gricia?

Pasta alla gricia is (unsurprisingly) quite salty thanks to the guanciale and pecorino cheese. A great wine to look for when eating salty food is structured white wines with a natural acidity. Zesty white wines like Pinot Grigio or Vermentino are a fantastic choice here as the salt in your pasta dish will soften out your wine.

Pasta alla gricia recipe

• 200g sliced guanciale
• 200g grated pecorino romano
• Half a glass of white wine
• Black pepper
• 500g bucatini pasta
• 5-8 ladlefuls of pasta cooking water

Method

1. Begin by heating a large pan over a high heat. Add your sliced guanciale (Massimo says to slice them about the width and length of your pinkie finger) and cook until golden crispy. You can reduce the heat to medium-low to ensure they don’t burn.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. When boiling add a handful of rock salt. Allow the water to come back to the boil before adding your bucatini. Cook for 2 minutes less than the instructions on your pasta packet.
3. When your guanciale is well cooked, remove it from the pan into a bowl. You will notice a lot of fat has been released into the pan, keep this!
4. Add your half a glass of white wine to the fat in the pan and allow to cook for a minute. Massimo tells me it’s not in the traditional recipe but he says it makes it a tiny bit tastier!
5. At this point, your timer is likely ringing to alert you that your pasta is ready. Transfer your pasta into the pan with the fat & wine liquid (do not throw your pasta cooking water away!)
6. Add a ladle of pasta cooking water to the pan along with a handful of grated pecorino. Fold it through your pasta from bottom to top. The key here is to create a cheesy creamy sauce.
7. Continue to add a ladle of water and a handful of pecorino until you’ve used up 2/3 of the cheese and between 6-8 ladles of water. If the sauce is looking too runny, turn up the heat to evaporate it and continue stirring the liquid into the pasta.
8. Add a few big cracks of freshly ground black pepper and your guanciale back into the pan.
9. When the sauce has all but evaporated into the pasta and it’s looking creamy and cheesy, you’re ready to serve.
10. Finish with a dusting of more pecorino on top. Voila!

Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Learn how to make orecchiette from Puglia or Massimo’s simple tomato sugo. Let me know if you try this recipe and leave a comment below!