Pasta Alla Gricia Americas Test Kitchen Food

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• Add the bacon to a large skillet. Place over medium heat and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Stir in the pepper and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season it generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the bacon, return the pan to medium-high heat and cook, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
• Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with the cheese and begin to toss the pasta with the sauce. Continue to stir over low heat and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta and the pasta is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Through this process, you may need to add more pasta water to help cook the pasta and maintain a sauce. This could take up to a cup more pasta water.) Serve topped with more cheese if desired.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil, and then add the guanciale and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, making sure that the meat does not get too crunchy and the garlic does not burn. Cook's Note: If you see that the garlic is browning too fast, remove it from the pan, finish the pork, and then add it again to the sauce.
• When the guanciale and the garlic are nice and golden brown, add the sage.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta to the water, and cook it about 2 minutes less than indicated on the box. Strain the pasta and add it to the saucepan over a medium-high heat, toss it around for a few seconds, then add the grated Pecorino, toss for one minute.
• Garnish with some grated Pecorino, a drop of extra-virgin olive oil, and some ground black pepper. Serve with a bottle of robust red wine.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Steps:

• Cook the guanciale in a large skillet over medium heat until deeply golden (adjust the heat as necessary to render the fat without burning the meat). The meaty parts should be browned and the fatty parts should be cooked but still slightly transparent. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. When it's done, add the black pepper and turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, put a pot of salted water on to boil. When the water boils, cook the pasta until it's al dente, nearly but not quite done and still a bit chalky in the middle.
• When the guanciale has cooled a bit, and while the pasta is cooking, add 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the pan, turn the heat to high and reduce by about half.
• When the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Stir the pasta as it finishes cooking, adding more pasta cooking water if necessary until the pasta is done and the sauce thick and creamy. Add half the cheese and a pinch of pepper, and stir vigorously to incorporate.
• Divide the pasta among four dishes, and dust each with the remaining pecorino.