Spaghetti alla Gricia

A simpler version of carbonara that is always an Italian hit. The mix of Pecorino Romano cheese and guanciale (bacon) make this an easy meal to enjoy. Spaghetti alla Gricia is a filling and tasty dish that’s perfect all year round. The guanciale is similar to pancetta except it has a far higher fat content. Serve as a main dish with a salad side or garlic bread.

Spaghetti alla Gricia

Simple but gorgeous. Works just as well with Rigatoni

4.81 from 82 votes

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Cheese, Pasta, Pecorino

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 590kcal

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Ingredients

 

MetricImperial

• 1 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil
• 200 g guanciale cut into 5mm thick squares
• 500 g spaghetti
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper plus more for garnish see Note 1
• 75 g pecorino romano finely grated See Note 1

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the guanciale and cook, stirring, until golden brown – about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
  1 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil, 200 g guanciale
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over a high heat. Salt the water. When the salt has dissolved, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  500 g spaghetti
• Transfer the pasta to the pan with the guanciale, reserving the cooking water. Heat the pan over a medium-high heat, adding some pasta water. Swirl and stir the pasta as it finishes cooking. The sauce should be thick and slightly liquid, but not watery.
• When the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, add the pepper and half of the pecorino, then stir vigorously to combine.
  1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 75 g pecorino romano
• Plate the pasta and serve with the remaining pecorino and some black pepper sprinkled on top.
  75 g pecorino romano, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Always serve hot

Notes

Note 1: The ground black pepper is including within the recipe (1/2 tsp) but a little more is required to sprinkle over the dish prior to serving.

Note 2: Half of the pecorino is added in step 4 whilst the other half is used in step 5. In total the amount of Pecorino is 75 g and NOT 75 g per step.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1796mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g