Interestingly, gricia comes from a time when "grici "were sellers of common foods. Many of these sellers came from Valtellina, which was a part of the Swiss canton of Grigioni. Simple easy available ingredients like Guanciale, Pecorino cheese and black pepper were used to traditionally make this tasty and quick meal.
400-500g pasta – spaghetti, bucatini, penne, or rigatoni
Directions
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add salt, add pasta, stir, and cook until al dente
Meanwhile, put the oil and Guanciale into a large frying pan and fry gently for a few minutes, or until the fat has rendered and the pieces are shiny starting to crisp
Once the pasta is ready, drain, saving some of the starchy cooking water. Tip the pasta into the frying pan, toss, add two-thirds of the cheese and a little pasta cooking water, and toss again
Divide between bowls and top with the remaining cheese and a grind of black pepper, if you wish.
