IBERIAN SPAGHETTI ALLA GRICIA
Ingredients
- 400g spaghetti (or rigatoni)
- 150g Iberian ham shavings (100g melting + 50g crispy)
- 80 g finely grated Pecorino Romano (or 24 month Parmigiano)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper (plenty)
Step by step
- To prepare the crispy shavings (2 min)
- Non-stick cold pan.
- Add 50g of wood chips → turn up to medium heat.
- 1-2 min stirring → crispy like guanciale.
- Remove to paper towels. Reserve the fat in the pan.
- Pasta, al dente (8-10 min)
- Boiling water with a little salt (the ham already provides some).
- Cook spaghetti 1 minute less than the package instructions.
- Save 300 ml of cooking water.
- Emulsified sauce (3 min)
- In the same pan (with wood chip fat):
- Add 100g shavings → 1 min over medium heat (they melt).
- Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil + plenty of pepper → 20 sec.
- Pour 150 ml of cooking water → boil vigorously for 30 seconds → it reduces and emulsifies.
- Buttering (off the heat)
- Drain the pasta → straight into the pan.
- Off the heat: add 60g of Pecorino cheese and 50ml of cold water.
- Stir for 30 seconds in circles → shiny cream (no threads).
- If it dries out: add more cooking water one tablespoon at a time.
Final assembly
- Plate the hot pasta in a nest shape.
- Add the crispy shavings on top.
- Add the extra Pecorino cheese and a little black pepper.
- Add a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
Nonna’s tip: Never use high heat at the end → the Pecorino will curdle. The cooking water is gold: it’s the “sauce” of Italian pasta.
Ready in 15 minutes!
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