Pasta alla Gricia

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

This quick and easy pasta alla gricia is a classic Italian pasta dish from Rome that is served in pretty much every restaurant and requires only 4 ingredients.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
5 ounces guanciale (cured pork cheek), diced
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain, saving about 1 cup of cooking water.
2 Meanwhile, place guanciale in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Add pasta water, cooked spaghetti, and grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Mix well.
3 Distribute pasta amongst 4 bowls and serve with freshly ground black pepper and extra Pecorino Romano cheese.