• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Inside The Rustic Kitchen
  • Recipe Index
  • FREE Italian Food Club
  • Tips & Tricks
  • About Us & Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • My Recipe Box
  • About us
  • Subscribe!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Pasta alla Gricia

    Published: Jun 11, 2020, Last updated: Feb 9, 2021 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

    379 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    Recipe Print
    A pinterest graphic for pasta alla gricia

    Pasta alla Gricia is a super easy and classic pasta dish from Lazio, Italy. Although simple there's no compromise in flavour and it's perfect for whipping up on a busy weeknight, Buon Appetitio!

    An overhead shot of rigatoni pasta with guanciale on a plate

    Pasta alla Gricia is another beautiful Lazian pasta dish made with just 4 ingredients!

    It's the base for another two famous Italian pasta dishes; add egg and it becomes Pasta Carbonara, add tomato and white wine and it becomes Pasta all' Amatriciana, interesting right?

    Although it's simple, don't let the few ingredients fool you, this pasta dish is famous for a good reason, it is DELICIOUS!

    Ingredients you need

    All you need is; dried pasta (rigatoni or spaghetti is more traditional), Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and guanciale (Italian cured pork jowl). See the photo below that shows all the ingredients you need.

    An overhead shot of the ingredients you need to make pasta alla gricia

    Guanciale is a pretty essential ingredient needed to make this dish because it's the glorious fat that adds so much flavour and creates such a creamy and delicious pasta sauce.

    You should be able to find guanciale at any Italian speciality food store but if not you could use pancetta or bacon.

    Bear in mind that pancetta or bacon will have a much milder flavour so the end result won't quite be the same.

    How to make Pasta alla Gricia - Step by Step

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (around 8-9 minutes check your packet instructions).

    Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or frying pan and cook the guanciale for a few minutes until crispy. You won’t need any oil because it will cook in the fat that’s released (photos 1-4).

    Step by step photos showing how to fry guanciale

    Once the pasta is cooked reserve ¼ cup (60ml) of pasta water, drain the pasta then add to the skillet with the guanciale.

    Add the pasta water, pecorino, black pepper and stir until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce (photos 5-8).

    Step by step photos showing how to make pasta alla gricia

    If the pasta seems too dry (for example if you used bacon and there wasn't much fat) add an extra splash of pasta water. Serve with extra pepper and pecorino if desired.

    Top tips and recipe FAQs

    • Preparing in advance - There's no need to prepare this recipe in advance it's so quick and easy it takes no more than 10 minutes.
    • No guanciale? you can also use pancetta or bacon but try to make sure they are on the fattier side and not lean cuts.
    • Leftovers - The pasta is best eaten immediately because the sauce is made from the guanciale and pasta water it's best eaten while it's still warm.
    The difference between Pasta alla Gricia and Carbonara

    The difference between these two Italian pasta dishes is the egg. Carbonara is made with freshly beaten egg and Gricia isn't everything else remains the same.

    What's the best pasta to use?

    Traditionally rigatoni or spaghetti is used when making Pasta alla Gricia but you could use another short pasta shape.

    A side shot of Pasta alla Gricia on a plate

    More Easy Italian pasta recipes you might like

    • Spaghetti alla Carbonara
    • Pasta Amatriciana
    • Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
    • Penne all'arrabbiata
    • Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

    If you tried this Pasta alla Gricia recipe or any other recipes on the blog please be sure to leave me a comment below to let me know how you got on, I love hearing from you. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

    Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
    Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    A square photo of pasta alla gricia
    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    Pasta alla Gricia

    Pasta alla Gricia is a super easy and classic pasta dish from Lazio, Italy. Although simple there's no compromise in flavour and it's perfect for whipping up on a busy weeknight, Buon Appetitio!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 540kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups rigatoni or other dried pasta (14 oz / 400g)
    • 1 cup guanciale cut into cubes (150g)
    • ½ cup pecorino freshly grated
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (around 8-9 minutes check your packet instructions).
    • Heat a large skillet or frying pan and cook the guanciale for a few minutes until crispy. You won’t need any oil because it will cook in the fat that’s released.
    • Once the pasta is cooked reserve ¼ cup (60ml) of pasta water, drain the pasta then add to the skillet with the guanciale.
    • Add the pasta water, pecorino, black pepper and stir until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.
    • If the pasta seems too dry (for example if you used bacon and there wasn't much fat) add an extra splash of pasta water. Serve with extra pepper and pecorino if desired.

    Notes

    • Preparing in advance - There's no need to prepare this recipe in advance it's so quick and easy it takes no more than 10 minutes.
    • No guanciale? you can also use pancetta or bacon but try to make sure they are on the fattier side and not lean cuts.
    • Leftovers - The pasta is best eaten immediately because the sauce is made from the guanciale and pasta water it's best eaten while it's still warm.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 1mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

    More Italian Pasta Recipes

    • An overhead shot of creamy tomato pasta with Italian sausage in a blue patterned bowl with a serving spoon at the side.
      Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
    • An overhead shot of butternut squash ravioli in a white bowl sitting on a wooden serving board.
      Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter Sauce
    • An overhead shot of shrimp spaghetti in a rustic bowl sitting on a wooden surface with a glass of white wine at the side.
      Shrimp Spaghetti with 'Nduja and Lemon
    • Orecchiette pasta with a creamy tomato sauce in a rustic ceramic bowl topped with cheese
      Orecchiette with 'Nduja Sugo

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      June 23, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      Oh this looks so tasty! and proves you don't need lots of ingredients to make something delicious, just a couple of great ones! Must try this asap!5 stars

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Ciao, we're Emily and Nathan. Our years living in Italy taught us how to cook authentic and delicious Italian food. We're here to help you put a beautiful meal on the table with tried and tested recipes you can trust. more about us!

    As seen in

    A collage of high profile online publication logos

    Popular Recipes

    • an overhead shot of a tiramisu in a dish with a slice out
      Tiramisu - Authentic Recipe!
    • Mushroom Ravioli With Parmesan Cream Sauce
    • Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
    • Close up of an Italian beef ragu in a bowl
      Italian Beef Ragu - A Classic Recipe
    • An overhead shot of lobster ravioli in a bowl
      Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce
    • Italian tomato sauce in a saucepan with two slices of ciabatta bread
      Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce - Quick, Easy & Delicious

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us & Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    My Recipe Box

    • Sign up for email updates and save all your favourite recipes!

    Recipes

    • Pasta
    • Mains
    • Desserts

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Copyright © 2022 Inside the Rustic Kitchen

    379 shares