Rigatoni alla Gricia with Crisp Guanciale and Pecorino

What you need

• 320 g (11 oz) rigatoni
• 225 g (8 oz) guanciale, rind removed
• 60 g (2 oz) pecorino romano, finely grated
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, plus extra for serving
• salt, for the pasta water, lightly

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it lightly, since the guanciale and pecorino are both salty.

2. 2

   Cut the guanciale into slices 1 cm (1/2 in) thick, then into short strips.

3. 3

   Put the guanciale in a wide, dry frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring now and then, until the fat has rendered and the strips are golden and crisp, about 10 min.

4. 4

   Add the pepper to the hot fat, stir for a few seconds and turn off the heat.

5. 5

   Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water until 2 min short of al dente.

6. 6

   Ladle about 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the starchy water into the guanciale pan and bring it back to a lively simmer, shaking the pan to blend water and fat.

7. 7

   Move the rigatoni straight into the pan with a slotted spoon and toss over medium heat until al dente, 2 min. Add a splash more water if it looks dry.

8. 8

   Take the pan off the heat and wait about 30 seconds.

9. 9

   Sprinkle in a third of the pecorino and toss hard, adding a little water, until a creamy sauce forms. Repeat with another third.

10. 10

    Serve at once with the remaining pecorino and more pepper on top.

Imported from giallozafferano.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.