Description
A classic Roman pasta dish made with spaghetti, crispy guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and freshly cracked black pepper, creating a silky, creamy sauce without any cream.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 4 ounces guanciale, diced
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt (for pasta water)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- While the water heats, dice the guanciale and finely grate the Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Place the guanciale in a cold wide skillet and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes until crispy and golden, allowing the fat to render slowly.
- Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Transfer the hot pasta directly into the skillet with the guanciale and toss to coat in the rendered fat.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and gradually add the grated Pecorino Romano along with a splash of reserved pasta water, stirring quickly to form a smooth and creamy sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the pasta, toss once more, and serve immediately with extra Pecorino on top.
Notes
- Always remove the pan from heat before adding the cheese to prevent clumping.
- Use freshly grated Pecorino Romano for the smoothest texture.
- Reserve enough pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency as needed.
- Serve immediately for the best creamy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: Pasta Alla Gricia, Roman pasta, guanciale pasta, Pecorino Romano pasta, authentic Italian pasta