Quick and Easy Recipe–Spaghetti alla Gricia
Email This Post
Spaghetti alla gricia
Umbertide, July 9, 2010
I just heard back from the subscriber who won the first cookbook in my drawing–until now I had only her email address. Her name is Sally Free from Cape Coral, Florida. The next drawing is Monday.
I craved pasta at lunchtime yesterday, but I didn’t feel like shopping for ingredients or spending much time cooking. It was too hot. So I dug up my notes from eating in Rome at Armando al Pantheon. The small intimate restaurant—just a few steps from the Pantheon—was so popular that I was unable to get in after I fell in love with this dish on my first visit. So if you go, I suggest you make a reservation.
The sauce is made with guanciale (made from pork jowl), but pancetta or bacon will do. If you use bacon, you’ll need to drain some of the fat after sautéing. The classic cheese for this dish is pecorino Romano, a sharp, salty cheese, but since I am in Umbria, I used the region’s traditional aged pecorino. For a milder dish, you can use Parmigiano-Reggiano. Here is my version of the dish . Buon appetito! Suzanne
Spaghetti alla gricia 
Yield: 2 servings
8 ounces dry spaghetti
3 ounces thinly sliced guanciale, diced
1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 ounces (a large handful) grated aged Umbrian or Tuscan pecorino
Kosher salt
Freshly grated black pepper
- Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water until just al dente (usually 1 minute less than package directions); drain but reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the spaghetti to the pot.
- While the spaghetti cooks, sauté the guanciale in a large saucepan in 1/2 tablespoon of the oil until cooked but not crisp. Stir the cooked spaghetti into the saucepan with the guanciale. Toss well; add several tablespoons of the reserved cooking water.
- Cook about 1 minute over low heat, adding more liquid, if needed, to keep it moist. It is ready when the spaghetti has absorbed the flavor of the guanciale and the spaghetti is al dente. Remove from the heat; stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the cheese. Toss to evenly coat; season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Note: The recipe can be doubled.
Armando al Pantheon
Salita dei Crescenzi, 31
Rome, Italy
Phone: 06.688.03034 . www.armandoalpantheon.it
Recipes/Food Notes
| 
Italian cuisine, Italian food, Italian recipes, Italy, pasta, Restaurants in Rome, Rome, Umbrian recipes
ok, I’m making this tonight — with bacon. I love it when recipes come by my computer and plan my dinner menu!
Thank you for the restaurant address and phone!
What does gricia mean, as in spaghetti alla gricia?
Yikes, Rita, I don’t know, never asked, never thought I’d be writing about it.
If you go, let me know what you think!
Hey, Rosemary, did you make the pasta? I hope you liked it if you did. Let me know. Suzanen
Our schedules are very similar on both the east coasts and west coasts of the States so hopefully we will see each other. Love your blog and your pictures are terrific. George and I are really looking forward to seeing you and fixing meals from your cookbook.
Hope to see you soon!