A number of classic Roman pasta dishes rely on the essential method of emulsifying the starch in the pasta water to create a creamy, cohesive sauce, including Pasta alla gricia, Pasta all’amatriciana(I will be posting that next) and Cacio e pepe (already posted). Spaghetti carbonnara could be considered a fourth choice but I chose not to make it – I’m not into using fresh eggs in a pasta dish!
The Blue Apron Cookbook:165 Essential Recipes & Lessons for a Lifetime of Home Cooking from the Blue Apron Culinary Team. This was a gift from my sister for my birthday last year. She liked it so much she bought a copy for herself!
Pasta alla Gricia
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- 2-1/2 oz. pancetta, cut into pieces, normally guanciale (pork jowl) is used but is hard to find (I used 4 oz. pancetta and cut into pieces using kitchen scissors) – if all you have is bacon that would be fine
- 1 medium onion or 4 scallions, thinly sliced (I used a large onion – I love my onions)
- 8 oz. pappardelle or tagliatelle
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt for the pasta water
- 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional-for the pasta water)
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 2 tbsp. Pecorino Romano, grated
- serve extra Pecorino or Parmigiano on the side
Slowly render the pancetta in a large skillet until browned, about 10 minutes. This will help to build an emulsified sauce. You will be using this skillet to cook the onions and finishing the dish. Remove to a paper-lined plate; reserve 2 tsp. of the fat and the browned bits.
Cook the onions in the 2 tsp. of reserved fat, scraping up the browned bits for 10 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
Bring the water to boil, stir in the 1 tbsp. salt and then add the pasta. You can also add a rind of Parmigiano to the water. Instead of cooking per directions using 4 quarts of water for 8 oz. pasta I used 3 quarts. This will help to make the pasta starchier. Cook the pasta until al dente; drain while reserving 1-1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water. I ended up using 1 cup!
Add the pasta, pancetta, butter, black pepper and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the onion. Stirring gently, cook for 2 minutes. If the sauce seems dry (which it will be), gradually add the pasta water to reach the desired consistency. Stir in the Parmigiano. Cook, for 2 minutes until melted and combined. Divide the pasta between two bowls; top with the pecorino and serve.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Don’t these buttery egg noodles with cheese, onions and pancetta look delicious? They definitely were!
You can see what “starchy” pasta water looks like on the right…
The perfect comfort food! 🙂
For me too Ronit – any kind of pasta makes me feel good 🙂
These recipes remind me of a favorite Italian restaurant in the Nashville airport (which sadly has closed) where everything was made right in front of you using only a saute pan and the freshest ingredients. The smell of fresh garlic cooking in olive oil hit you as soon as you stepped off the airplane. My kids loved it anytime we stopped there. Delizioso!
Nothing beats fresh garlic or onions cooking! All the recipes are delicious – not sure which one I like the best as they all satisfied my taste buds. I remember Travis talking about the restaurant – that’s something when you look forward to flying and stopping at a particular airport for some good Italian pasta 🙂
Your recipe would be perfect for my homemade pasta. It’s so easy and delicious aunt Juju. What can be substituted for Pecorino Romano
Thanks Rahul – good for you to make your own pasta – haven’t done that in a long time. Just add extra Parmigiano 🙂
I have heard that restaurants keep a big pot of water boiling for their pasta, the starch is what makes it so delicious and different from home cooked pasta.
That’s interesting but it doesn’t surprise me. The pasta water really makes a difference in this kind of sauce. Simple and delicious 🙂