Pasta alla gricia

Hostory

Since the early ages of the Roman Empire, in the typical Roman rustic and traditional restaurants, defined as "osteria", culinary experimentation were performed. These have given rise to the most important traditional Roman dishes, among which, one of the most ancient is pasta alla gricia. According to historical reports, this recipe was born in 400 A.D. in Roma itself and is also known as white amatriciana.

There exists no exact clarity about the origins of the word "grigia". Some interpretations say that "grici" is the way Germanic bakers were referred to. They used to be only experts of the art of making bread and would only transmit their expertise to their children, without ever teaching the Romans. They were supposedly very hard working and not keen on spending money in the city. They would mostly spend their time in their bakeries, where they would work, eat and sleep. Pasta alla gricia is one of the simple and quick dishes that they would prepare: very few ingredients, easy to find and extremely simple preparation.

Another theory about the origin of this dish claims that it was invented in a town called Grisciano, in the region of Lazio. This town is located close to Amatrice, where amatriciana was born on a later date, given that back then tomatoes had not been brought to the region yet. This theory claims therefore that the recipe was then spread to the entire region of Lazio.

Descripton

Ingredients

• Pecorino romano
• Black pepper
• Guanciale or pancetta or bacon
• Pasta (rigatoni or spaghetti)
• Salt

Preparation and Variants

The preparation of pasta alla gricia is very simple and quick. There are several interpretations of the recipe, however there exists no great variance

1. Heat up water in a pot until it starts boiling
2. Add 3 tablespoons of salt for a pot for 4 people
3. Cook pasta al dente (400g)
4. Cook guanciale or pancetta or bacon chopped in small cubes or stripes, in a frying pan, until fat melts almost completely (200g-300g)
5. Roast cooked pasta in the frying pan for 2 minutes, where guanciale (or pancetta or bacon) was previously cooked
6. Add grated pecorino romano and black pepper to the frying pan and stir to amalgamate the ingredients