5-Ingredient Pasta alla Gricia Recipe
Try this 5-Ingredient Pasta alla Gricia Recipe recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this 5-Ingredient Pasta alla Gricia Recipe recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.543631532795 g
- Cholesterol 44.225256036 mg
- Fat 18.2060422984047 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 13.5227225187 g
- Saturated Fat 8.21007131973846 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (248g)
- Sodium 510.426415800274 mg
- Sugar 1.543631532795 g
- Trans Fat 0.775578528391854 g
- Calories 224 calories
Step-by-step
- Over medium-low, heat the oil in a large sauté pan.
- Add the guanciale (we used ham), stirring, until the fat renders out and the pieces become brown and crisp.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pieces to a small bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Meanwhile, while the guanciale is cooking, cook your pasta of choice in a large pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until pasta is about halfway cooked, not yet al dente.
- Save 1.5 cups the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- Add 3/4 cups pasta water to the pan with the fat and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, swirling often to emulsify the pasta water and rendered fat, about 1 minute.
- Add the pasta to the pan and cook until pasta is cooked al dente and the sauce becomes thick and glossy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add back in the crispy guanciale, pepper, and two-thirds of the grated Pecorino.
- Toss well to melt the cheese and combine.
- Enjoy immediately topped off with the remaining Pecorino.
The Emulsification Trap
Five simple components sound foolproof until the cheese clumps into a rubbery mass. Too many home cooks dump finely grated Pecorino directly into dry hot pans, destroying the emulsion instantly. Starch is the binding agent that prevents this failure. Reserve one and a half cups of starchy cooking water before draining the noodles. Swirling three-quarters of a cup of that water with rendered guanciale fat over medium heat for one minute creates a stable base before the cheese ever touches the pan.
Controlling the Fat
Guanciale requires low, steady heat to render its fat completely without burning the exterior. Maintaining medium-low heat during the initial rendering process yields crisp pieces and leaves liquid fat behind in the pan. Do not discard this grease. That liquid fat provides the necessary medium to coat the pasta evenly.
Managing Texture
Grainy sauces happen when cheese encounters temperatures that are too high. Turn the heat up to medium-high only after adding the pasta, pepper, and two-thirds of the Pecorino. Toss constantly until the cheese melts into a glossy coat.
