Pasta alla Gricia: Pasta with Pork and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. thick spaghetti

  • 2 cups Pecorino-Romano, shredded

  • ½ lb. guanciale (use pancetta or thick bacon if you need)

  • Fresh cracked black pepper

  • Salt

  • Vito and Joes Olive Oil

How to Prepare

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for your pasta. Use about half as much water as you would normally.

  2. While the water is heated, roughly chop ½ lb. guanciale into cubes. Bring a pan up to medium heat and add the chopped guanciale. (No need to add oil; the fat will render.) Cook until it’s browned significantly.

  3. Once the water reaches a boil, add your pasta and cook for around 6 minutes.

  4. Once the guanciale is significantly browned, turn the heat down to low. As the pasta continues to cook, add around ½ cup of the pasta water to the pan to deglaze. Add around 1 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper and cook down until it starts to thicken.

  5. After the water has mostly cooked down, add a few small handfuls of Pecorino-Romano to the pan and mix in.

  6. After the pasta has cooked for six minutes, transfer it to the pan along with 1 cup of pasta water. Mix as the water cooks down.

  7. Add a few more small handfuls of Pecorino-Romano and mix. Continue until you’ve used all the cheese.

  8. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with more shredded Pecorino-Romano, and enjoy!