Pasta alla Gricia Is an Often-Overlooked Roman Staple

Name: Pasta alla Gricia
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. mezzi rigatoni; 1 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated; 2/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 1 medium red onion, large diced; 1/2 lb. guanciale, cut into 1/2-inch strips; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbs. black pepper; 1 small ladle pasta water

This variation of the Roman classic, Pasta alla Gricia, touches on aspects of the better-known staples of the Eternal City.

By Andrew Cotto

9:00 AM EDT on March 24, 2025

The big three Roman pastas - Carbonara, Amatriciana, and Cacio e Pepe - get a lot of attention and rightfully so. Pasta alla Gricia...not so much.

Many consider Gricia as derivative of Amatriciana, simply minus the marinara. I kind of see it as tomato-less Amatriciana meets Cacio e Pepe. This is certainly true in my version that has more creaminess than the typical Gricia and also a little more pepper (that also smacks of Carbonara).

My version also includes a Pecorino / Parmigiano cheese combo (as opposed to 100% Pecorino in most classic Gricia recipes) since there's plenty of salt coming from the guanciale, and Parmigiano is less salty than its counterpart in this case.

Regardless, make your Gricia to your taste, but definitely add it to your Roman pasta repertoire (and order it next time it's on your menu) as it has such a complex flavor profile from very few ingredients (I particularly love the sweetness of the sauteed red onion as a counter to the unctuous guanciale, salty cheese and piquant black pepper).

I also recommend mezzi rigatoni as the dry pasta of choice since the half-sized tubes make for great bites, and you will find lots of guanciale, onion and cheese nestled inside.

Pasta alla Gricia

Recipe by Andrew Cotto

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. 1 mezzi rigatoni
1 cup 1 Pecorino Romano, finely grated
2/3 cup 2/3 Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
1 medium 1 red onion, large diced
1/2 lb. 1/2 guanciale, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/4 cup 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs. 1 black pepper
1 small 1 ladle pasta water

Directions

Put a pot of water on to boil.
Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl.
Add the EVOO to a large saute pan over medium heat.
When the oil is shimmering, add the guanciale.
Adjust the heat slightly down so the guanciale renders slowly (don’t let it burn!).
Turn the guanciale periodically to ensure it browns on all sides (around ten minutes total) and renders completely.
Remove the guanciale from the pan with a slotted spoon (leaving the fat in the pan) and transfer to a bowl.
The water should now be boiling (if not, turn off the heat under the saute pan and wait for the water to come to a boil), salt the water and add the mezzi rigatoni.
Stir until the boil returns.
Add the onion to the pan (reheated if necessary) and saute on medium-low until translucent (s/b timed perfectly with the 9 minute pasta for al dente).
Return the guanciale to the saute pan with the onions.
Add a small ladle of pasta water and stir.
Transfer the pasta directly to the pan and coat evenly.
Off the heat, slowly sprinkle in the cheese mixture, turning constantly (save a little cheese for sprinkling at the end).
creamy sauce should develop (if not, add more pasta water a little at a time).
Add the black pepper and toss the pasta to distribute.
Plate evenly and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.