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Meat, Italy

Rigatoni alla gricia

Rigatoni alla gricia is a Roman pasta dish for 4 people, ready in 25 minutes, easy to make, for €2.80 per serving. The sauce has no tomato and no cream, just crispy pancetta, pecorino, and black pepper. The key to success is mixing off the heat with the pasta water, which turns the pecorino into a smooth sauce.

Tonight it's gricia, Rome's sauce without tomato or cream, just crispy pancetta, pecorino, and black pepper.

Rigatoni alla gricia
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
690 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Gricia is the simplest of Rome's great pasta dishes, the one you make before adding egg for carbonara or tomato for amatriciana. Here there's no fuss, just pancetta rendering its fat until crispy, pecorino melting into a creamy sauce when it meets the pasta water, and black pepper tying it all together. The result tastes rich without feeling heavy, with that contrast between crispy pancetta and silky sauce.

This is the kind of dish you make on a weeknight when you don't want to fuss but still want something satisfying. Kids tend to love it because pecorino tastes a bit like parmesan and the pancetta has that crispy edge that always wins people over. With only six ingredients, it's also perfect for a Sunday night when the fridge is nearly empty.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Rigatonioften in the pantry 400 g
  • Black peppercornsoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Butcher

  • Pancetta or smoked bacon lardons, diced 200 g

Dairy

  • Grated pecorino 100 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Crush the black peppercorns in a mortar or under a saucepan.

    Toast them dry for a minute first, it brings out more flavor.

  2. Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of lightly salted water. 12 min

    Go easy on the salt, the pecorino and pancetta are already salty.

  3. Brown the pancetta in a pan with the olive oil until crispy. 8 min

    Let it cook slowly to render its fat properly.

  4. Add the pepper and a splash of pasta water, then the drained pasta, to the pan.

    Set aside two ladles of pasta water first.

  5. Off the heat, add the pecorino and a little water, stirring vigorously.

    Keep stirring until you get a smooth sauce that coats the pasta.

Our tips to get it right

  • Grate the pecorino very finely, almost to a powder, so it melts smoothly without clumping when it hits the hot water.
  • Always work off the heat when you add the cheese, direct heat will make it seize into stringy clumps instead of a sauce.
  • Keep a bit more pasta water on hand than you think you'll need, you can always add more if the sauce thickens too fast as it cools.

The variations

  • If you don't have pecorino, swap in parmesan, the flavor will be a touch milder and less sharp but the texture stays the same.
  • For a meat free version, replace the pancetta with diced mushrooms browned well in the pan, you'll lose the crispiness but keep the savory base.
  • For kids in a hurry, cut the pepper in half and serve the pasta a little milder, they'll enjoy it just as much.

What to serve it with

  • A lemony green salad
  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Crusty bread for the sauce

Storage

Rigatoni alla gricia keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce again. Freezing isn't recommended, the melted pecorino loses its creamy texture once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you use guanciale instead of pancetta?

Yes, guanciale is actually the traditional ingredient in gricia. It's fattier and more flavorful than pancetta, so the result will taste even richer.

Why does the pecorino sauce turn clumpy?

This happens when the cheese hits heat that's too strong or too much liquid at once. Always add the pecorino off the heat, with lukewarm pasta water, stirring fast and in small additions.

Can you make gricia ahead of time?

This dish is best eaten right away since the pecorino sauce loses its creaminess as it cools. You can cook the pancetta ahead and finish the rest of the recipe at the last minute.

What pasta can you use instead of rigatoni?

Tonnarelli, spaghetti, or mezze maniche all work well, the key is choosing a shape that holds onto the sauce. Avoid very thin pasta, which coats less easily.

How long does it take to make a rigatoni alla gricia?

Count 25 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a rigatoni alla gricia?

About 690 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a rigatoni alla gricia cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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