A quintessential pasta dish of Rome and what makes it so fantastic is how simple it is.Traditionally, in Italy, we use guanciale, which is a cured Italian pork product. It’s a specialty item, and you can often only find it in gourmet grocery stores or Italian markets.
Prep 5 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound (12 ounces) applewood smoked bacon, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground coarse black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti linguine pasta
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more to serve
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Method
To a large skillet add the diced bacon. Place over medium heat and cook the bacon until the fat in rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Stir in the pepper and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season it generously with kosher salt. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of pasta water to the pan with the bacon and return the pan to medium high heat scrpaing up the bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and add it directly to the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle the bare pasta with the 2 cheeses and begin to toss the pasta with the sauce. Continue to stir and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta and the pasta is cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes Through this process, you may need to add more pasta water as needed to help cook the pasta and maintain a sauce. This could take up to a cup more pasta water. Serve topped with more cheese if desired.