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Rigatoni with Guanciale and Pecorino
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/main-dishes/rigatoni-with-guanciale-and-pecorino
About this recipe
This Roman pasta dish combines guanciale, Pecorino Romano sheep's milk cheese and black pepper. Browned pieces of cured pork jowl contrast with firm rigatoni, while finely grated cheese, rendered fat and starchy water form a pale sauce that coats the tubes. This version has no cream, eggs or tomatoes. The key is to render the guanciale gently and combine the cheese with the pasta after taking the pan off the heat. Allow about 35 minutes to make four servings; serve immediately while the sauce is still loose and creamy.
Ingredients
Pasta and sauce
360 g dry durum semolina rigatoni
160 g cured, unsmoked guanciale, weighed after removing the rind; add all the pieces and all the rendered fat to the sauce
100 g Pecorino Romano, without the hard rind, very finely grated
2 g freshly ground black pepper
For cooking and combining the sauce
2500 ml water for cooking the pasta; reserve 300 ml from this water before draining: 100 ml for the pan, 60 ml for the cheese and up to 140 ml for loosening the sauce; discard the remaining pot water and unused reserve
10 g salt for the cooking water; do not add extra salt to the sauce
Steps
Start bringing all the water and salt to a boil in a pot that holds at least 4 l. Weigh the guanciale after removing the rind, keeping the edible meat, fat and natural pepper coating, if present. Cut into strips about 0.5 cm thick. Grate all the Pecorino Romano very finely so it combines easily with water. Have a container ready for measuring 300 ml water from the pot.
Put all the guanciale in a cold frying pan about 28 cm across, without olive oil or butter. Heat over low or medium-low heat for about 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the fat renders and the pieces are browned and crisp at the edges, but not burned or completely dried out. Take the pan off the heat. Transfer the pieces to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, without draining on paper. Keep all the fat in the pan and the juices in the bowl; do not discard any.
Add all the rigatoni to the boiling salted water. Cook for 1–2 minutes less than the package's stated al dente time, stirring especially at the start. About 4–5 minutes before the package time is up, reserve 300 ml starchy water. Measure 60 ml of this into a small bowl and leave for about 2–3 minutes until it is no longer scalding, then mix with all the cheese and pepper to make a thick paste. Keep the remaining 240 ml. Do not rinse the pasta after draining.
AI-generated Pour 100 ml reserved water into the cooled pan containing all the rendered fat, then heat over medium heat. Add the drained pasta and stir or toss for about 1–2 minutes until al dente and the water and fat form a slightly thickened, milky liquid. Take the pan off the heat and wait briefly until the liquid stops bubbling. Keep the remaining 140 ml water for the last step.
With the pan off the heat, add the cheese paste in several portions, stirring the pasta vigorously. Add all the guanciale and the juices from the bowl. If needed, add a little of the remaining 140 ml water at a time, just until a smooth, loose sauce coats the tubes. Do not return the pan to the heat after adding the cheese: the sauce must not boil. Divide all the pasta, sauce and guanciale into 4 servings and serve immediately. Discard unused water and the water left in the pot.
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