One of Rome's most beloved dishes, gricia is nothing more than sizzled guanciale (peppered, fatty, cured pork jowl) and grated pecorino cheese, tossed through pasta—spaghetti, bucatini or rigatoni are the usual favorites—with some of the cooking water to result in an immensely satisfying, fast meal and packed with flavour. A few tips keep this deceptively simple dish an easy weeknight staple: You can substitute pancetta and parmesan for the guanciale and pecorino if you must, but in all cases, get the best ingredients you can. The pasta cooking water is essential, don't forget to save about a cup of it before draining the rest of the pasta. Toss the cheese OFF THE HEAT for that loose, creamy emulsion that you want. <br /> <br />With all the salty goodness from the two main ingredients, you don't need to add any salt to this, though an extra grating of pepper is always a good idea.

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