Equipment
Ingredients
Main Components
- 10 g salt, fine
- 450 g pasta
- 15 ml olive oil
- 170 g salami, coarsely chopped
- 6 g black pepper, coarsely ground
- 55 g pecorino cheese, finely grated
- 55 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 743 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbohydrates
- 86 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 2005 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Potassium
- 326 mg
- Calcium
- 304 mg
- Iron
- 4.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 68 mg
- Phosphorus
- 377 mg
- Zinc
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 29 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.50 mg
- Niacin
- 8.1 mg
- Folate
- 268 mcg
- Water
- 15 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Boil a large pot of salted water.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente according to package directions.
Reserve 475ml (2 cups) of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander.
Combine olive oil and chopped salami in a large skillet over medium-low heat (150°C/300°F).
Sauté the salami, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the meat is crisp and golden, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the ground black pepper to the skillet and stir until fragrant.
Pour 355ml (1.5 cups) of the reserved pasta water into the skillet and remove from heat.
Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat (150°C/300°F), shaking the pan until the fat and water emulsify into a uniform liquid.
Add the drained pasta and both grated cheeses to the skillet.
Stir vigorously over medium-low heat (150°C/300°F) until the cheese melts and creates a glossy sauce that coats the noodles.
Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with additional grated cheese if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Use high-quality, fatty salami for the best flavor and rendered fat. Guanciale is traditional for Gricia, but a good quality, slightly fatty salami works well here.
- Don't rush the rendering of the salami. Low and slow heat is key to drawing out the fat and achieving crispiness without burning.
- The emulsification of the fat and pasta water is crucial. Shaking the pan helps create a creamy, cohesive sauce rather than a greasy one.
- Grate your cheeses finely and add them off the direct heat initially to prevent clumping. The residual heat will melt them into a smooth sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Pecorino Romano is salty, so you might not need additional salt beyond the pasta water.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water to restore the sauce's emulsion.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is clumpy or stringy rather than smooth.
Cause: The pan was too hot when adding the cheese, causing it to seize.
Fix: Vigorously whisk in a small amount of hot pasta water to try and smooth the emulsion.
Prevention: Ensure the heat is on medium-low and add the pasta water before the cheese to buffer the temperature.
The sauce is watery and does not cling to the pasta.
Cause: Too much pasta water was added or it wasn't reduced enough.
Fix: Continue simmering and stirring over medium heat to reduce the liquid until it emulsifies.
Prevention: Add pasta water in stages.
Cultural Context
Pasta alla Gricia is one of the four traditional Roman pasta dishes, often considered the ancestor of Amatriciana and Carbonara. Its name is thought to derive from the town of Gricignano, or from the word 'gricio,' referring to bread sellers in Rome. It's a humble yet deeply flavorful dish, showcasing simple, high-quality ingredients.
