Pasta alla gricia: only 5 ingredients – original recipe from Italy

And this is how it is done:

1. First place a saucepan full of salted water on top and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. NOTE: Do not dispose of boiling water!
2. In the meantime, remove the rind of Guanciales if necessary and first cut the bacon into thin slices – and then work these into thin strips.
3. Put strips of bacon in a large frying pan and let out on medium heat without extra fat and brows, about five minutes.
4. As soon as the bacon has reached the desired degree of browning, pour a ladle of hot (preferably: boiling) pasta water and glaze the pan.
5. Put the pasta in the pan, add the Pecorino and mix thoroughly once. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and it’s ready!

Unbelievable, but really true: For Italian original pasta all gricia, you only need five ingredients – and they even contain the spices salt and pepper, which you probably already have at home. Despite the simplicity of the dish, the bacon and cheese make it burst with flavor and spice. A culinary poem when it should go fast.

Wondering what exactly Guanciale is? This is an air-dried, unsmoked bacon from Italy made on pork skin or pork neck. You can get it in Italian delicacies, but also here and there in well-stocked supermarkets or at your trusted butcher. Anyway: If you happen to see Guanciale on the market – take it and prepare pasta alla gricia.

And if Italian bacon is nowhere to be found but you are still craving this delicacy, you can use another air-dried, unsmoked bacon instead – no problem!

Do you want something from the category “useless knowledge”? In fact, pasta alla gricia is considered the ancestor of the extremely popular pasta all’amatriciana, which also uses bacon and pecorino, but has added tomato sauce to it all.

Do you love original Italian recipes like this? Can’t get enough of delicious pasta dishes? How about for example penne alla boscaiola or pasta alla zozzona? And if there were not enough ideas, we have collected many more classics in the gallery for you:

Fancy simple pasta hits? Be sure to check out the video:

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