Gricia is perhaps the least known of Rome’s big four pasta dishes. Everyone has heard of carbonara. Many have heard of amatriciana and cacio e pepe. But Rome’s gricia recipe has yet to really break out of Italy and onto the international culinary scene. 

What makes this so surprising is that Gricia may well be the most popular — at least in Rome and its surrounding region of Lazio. It encapsulates everything that makes Italian cuisine so successful: it is simple, using only five ingredients, including salt and pepper; it is creamy, consisting of a cheese sauce combined with rendered pork fat; it is, above all else, delicious. 

What is Gricia?

Gricia is essentially the ancestor of amatriciana — its better-known cousin, which is a tomato-based sauce — and a slightly more complex version of cacio e pepe — which is the most minimalist of Roman pastas, consisting only of Pecorino Romano cheese and pepper. 

Most probably originating among the pastoral communities of Lazio,

A typical gricia recipe comprises pasta, pork jowl (guanciale), and Pecorino Romano, with a generous grind of black pepper to add a bit of kick. It most probably originated among the pastoral communities of Lazio — perhaps the small hamlet of Grisciano after which it might be named. 

Shepherds of these communities would have had few ingredients available, but were surrounded by plenty of sheep! And so, in typical central-Italian fashion, they developed a basic cuisine based on plenty of fats, dairy, and carbohydrates. 

Rigatoni alla Gricia Recipe

You can accompany a gricia sauce with practically any pasta. Here, we’ve chosen Rigatoni since this large tube pasta lends itself well to trapping crunchy slices of guanciale. But you can just as well make this gricia recipe with bucatini, spaghetti, tonarelli, or even penne. Here’s our ultimate tried-and-tested gricia recipe.

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) Rigatoni pasta
• 200g (7 oz) Guanciale (pork cheek), cut into small strips
• 100g (3.5 oz) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Salt (ideally coarse grain) for the pasta water

Method

1. Slice the guanciale into small strips of about 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide. Ensure the Pecorino Romano cheese is finely grated as you’ll need to melt it into the pasta.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous sprinkle of coarse grain salt (about 10g per litre of water) to the boiling water.
3. Add the rigatoni and cook it until al dente, as per the package instructions. This usually takes about 10-12 minutes, but can vary according to the temperature of the water. Fill 1 cup with pasta cooking water and set it aside before draining.
4. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the guanciale. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the guanciale becomes crispy and golden brown. The fat from the guanciale will render out, creating a flavorful base for the sauce.
5. Once the guanciale is crispy, reduce the heat to low. Drain the rigatoni and add it directly to the skillet, combining it with the guanciale. Toss the pasta in the rendered pork fat, ensuring every piece is coated.
6. Take the pasta water that you set aside earlier and add it gradually to the skillet. This will help create a creamy sauce as the water mixes with the fat. Sprinkle in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese while tossing the pasta, allowing it to melt and coat the rigatoni. Keep adding pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy, silky consistency.
7. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and add more Pecorino Romano if necessary. Once seasoned, serve immediately, ensuring each serving has a decent amount of guanciale and sauce. For the finishing touches to your gricia recipe (and for better presentation),  add an extra sprinkle of black pepper and Pecorino Romano.

Learn to Make Gricia through a Private Cooking Class

Rome with Chef’s cooking classes offer fun, immersive ways to master real Roman cooking. 

Our shared pasta and tiramisù class specialises in carbonara and cacio e pepe recipes, but you can learn to make others by booking a private pasta cooking class. Whichever class you choose, you’ll be welcomed at our central air-conditioned school by a professional chef, a glass or two of prosecco, and plenty of expert insights into Italian cooking. Oh, and you’ll enjoy a sit-down meal at the end of the class during which you’ll get to enjoy the meal you’ve made. 

Visitors rate our cooking classes among their top experiences in Rome. But don’t just take our word for it! See what people are saying!