Pasta alla Gricia
Ingredients
5 ounces guanciale (pancetta or bacon can substitute)
½ pound spaghetti
¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese (grated on the diamond setting of a box grater)
salt
ground black pepper (to taste – about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
Pecorino Romano cheese (grated, additional for serving)
Directions
Place guanciale in the freezer for 30 – 45 minutes. Freezing the guanciale will make it easier to slice.
Slice guanciale into lardons about 1/4″ thick by a 1/2″ wide.
Place cut guanciale flat into a cool pan and turn heat on medium high.
Turn the heat down to its lowest setting once the guanciale just begins to turn translucent, gets brown on the edges and renders its fat. Keep an eye on the pan. If the guancale looks like it’s beginning to get too brown, remove it from the heat.
Boil the spaghetti in 4 to 5 cups of salted water. (We like to add about a tablespoon of sea salt or table salt.) You may need to gently bend the pasta so it it’s all submerged. Cook per instructions on the pasta box.
Raise the heat on the guanciale to medium about 3 minutes before the pasta is ready.
Just before removing the pasta, transfer 3 to 4 ladlefuls of the pasta water (about 1.5 cups) into the pan with the guanciale. Scrape up any brown bits that have accumulated in the pan.
Use tongs to transfer the pasta to the guanciale pan. If you choose to use a colander to drain the pasta first, reserve about`1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
Mix the pasta with the starchy pasta water and guanciale. Remove from heat.
Add the Pecorino Romano and mix until the sauce is creamy. You should be able to see the bottom the pan when you drag a wooden spoon across it.
Once the pasta and sauce are done, mix in a generous amount of ground black pepper to taste.
Grate additional Pecorino Romano on the top of the pasta.
