America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Simple Pastas, Big Flavors
Recipe
45 min

Pasta alla Gricia (Rigatoni with Pancetta and Pecorino Romano)

(125)
131 Comments
Loading...
Pasta alla Gricia (Rigatoni with Pancetta and Pecorino Romano)
Author: Annie Petito

Recipe By Annie Petito

Published on July 30, 2024

The porky-peppery flavors of pasta alla gricia deserve big recognition.

Time

45 min

Yield

Serves 6

Why This Recipe Works

Pasta alla gricia is a simple pasta dish based on cured pork, black pepper, and Pecorino Romano. The fat from the pork (guanciale is traditional, but easier-to-find pancetta works well) combines with starchy pasta cooking water and cheese to create a creamy sauce for the pasta. The traditional method is to let parcooked pasta finish cooking in the sauce, where it will release its starch for body, but the technique can be finicky. For consistent results, we cooked the pasta to al dente in half the usual amount of water and then added the extra-starchy pasta cooking water to the rendered pork fat and reduced the mixture to a specific volume. The boiling action further concentrated the starches in the water and emulsified the mixture before we mixed in the pasta.

Ingredients

8 ounces pancetta, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound rigatoni
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, plus extra for serving
2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated fine (1 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Slice each round of pancetta into rectangular pieces that measure about ½ inch by 1 inch.
  2. Heat pancetta and oil in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fat is rendered and pancetta is deep golden brown but still has slight pinkish hue, 8 to 10 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to keep pancetta from browning too quickly. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to bowl; set aside. Pour fat from pot into liquid measuring cup (you should have around ⅓ cup fat; discard any extra over ⅓ cup). Return fat to Dutch oven.
  3. While pancetta cooks, set colander in large bowl. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta in prepared colander, reserving cooking water.
  4. Add pepper and 2 cups reserved cooking water to Dutch oven with fat and bring to boil over high heat. Boil mixture rapidly, scraping up any browned bits, until emulsified and reduced to 1½ cups, about 5 minutes. (If you've reduced it too far, add more reserved cooking water to equal 1½ cups.)
  5. Reduce heat to low, add pasta and pancetta, and stir to evenly coat. Add Pecorino and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, adjust sauce consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Transfer pasta to platter and serve immediately, passing extra pepper and extra Pecorino separately.

Ask ATK

Have a Question?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!

Recipe FAQs

My Rating

Up Next

Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil)
Recipe40 min

Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil)

Pasta alla Gricia (Rigatoni with Pancetta and Pecorino Romano)

Recipe By Annie Petito

Published on July 30, 2024

Time

45 min

Yield

Serves 6

Pasta alla Gricia (Rigatoni with Pancetta and Pecorino Romano)

Ingredients

8 ounces pancetta, sliced ¼ inch thick1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 pound rigatoni1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, plus extra for serving2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated fine (1 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions

  1. Slice each round of pancetta into rectangular pieces that measure about ½ inch by 1 inch.
  2. Heat pancetta and oil in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fat is rendered and pancetta is deep golden brown but still has slight pinkish hue, 8 to 10 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to keep pancetta from browning too quickly. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to bowl; set aside. Pour fat from pot into liquid measuring cup (you should have around ⅓ cup fat; discard any extra over ⅓ cup). Return fat to Dutch oven.
  3. While pancetta cooks, set colander in large bowl. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta in prepared colander, reserving cooking water.
  4. Add pepper and 2 cups reserved cooking water to Dutch oven with fat and bring to boil over high heat. Boil mixture rapidly, scraping up any browned bits, until emulsified and reduced to 1½ cups, about 5 minutes. (If you've reduced it too far, add more reserved cooking water to equal 1½ cups.)
  5. Reduce heat to low, add pasta and pancetta, and stir to evenly coat. Add Pecorino and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, adjust sauce consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Transfer pasta to platter and serve immediately, passing extra pepper and extra Pecorino separately.
This is a members' feature.