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- 1
Set the water right
Bring a large pot with only 8 cups of water to a boil with just 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Less water means starchier water, and that starch is what builds the sauce. This is the whole trick, so don't skip it.
- 2
Cut the guanciale
Trim the hard outer edge off 8 ounces of guanciale, then slice it into lardons about 1/4 inch thick. Guanciale is cured pork jowl and it's the soul of this dish. If you truly can't find it, pancetta will do, but find the guanciale if you can.
- 3
Render it slow
Set a large pan over medium heat and cook the guanciale gently until most of the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Low and patient. You want that fat in the pan, that's your flavor. Lift out half the crispy pieces with a slotted spoon and set them aside for serving.
- 4
Undercook the pasta
Cook the rigatoni about 3 minutes shy of al dente. It'll still be firm. With so little water it wants to stick, so stir it more than you normally would.
- 5
Finish in the pan
Add a good crack of coarse black pepper to the guanciale fat, then the firm pasta and 1 cup of pasta water. Cook, tossing, until the rigatoni reaches al dente, adding more pasta water as it drinks it up.
- 6
Build the cream
Pull the pan off the heat and add 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano. Toss and flip until it emulsifies into a glossy sauce that clings to every tube. Off the heat matters, or the cheese seizes. Loosen with a splash more pasta water if it tightens.
- 7
Taste and serve
Taste before you salt. Between the guanciale and the Pecorino it's usually salty enough. Serve right away in warm bowls, topped with the reserved crispy guanciale, more Pecorino, and another grind of pepper. This one waits for no one, so get everyone to the table.
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Rigatoni alla Gricia
Created by: PastaAndProsciutto
Ingredients
- 8 oz guanciale
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano
- black pepper
- salt
Instructions
- Set the water rightBring a large pot with only 8 cups of water to a boil with just 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Less water means starchier water, and that starch is what builds the sauce. This is the whole trick, so don't skip it.
- Cut the guancialeTrim the hard outer edge off 8 ounces of guanciale, then slice it into lardons about 1/4 inch thick. Guanciale is cured pork jowl and it's the soul of this dish. If you truly can't find it, pancetta will do, but find the guanciale if you can.
- Render it slowSet a large pan over medium heat and cook the guanciale gently until most of the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Low and patient. You want that fat in the pan, that's your flavor. Lift out half the crispy pieces with a slotted spoon and set them aside for serving.
- Undercook the pastaCook the rigatoni about 3 minutes shy of al dente. It'll still be firm. With so little water it wants to stick, so stir it more than you normally would.
- Finish in the panAdd a good crack of coarse black pepper to the guanciale fat, then the firm pasta and 1 cup of pasta water. Cook, tossing, until the rigatoni reaches al dente, adding more pasta water as it drinks it up.
- Build the creamPull the pan off the heat and add 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano. Toss and flip until it emulsifies into a glossy sauce that clings to every tube. Off the heat matters, or the cheese seizes. Loosen with a splash more pasta water if it tightens.
- Taste and serveTaste before you salt. Between the guanciale and the Pecorino it's usually salty enough. Serve right away in warm bowls, topped with the reserved crispy guanciale, more Pecorino, and another grind of pepper. This one waits for no one, so get everyone to the table.