{"id":1629,"date":"2026-06-15T12:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.viruteo.com\/iberian-spaghetti-alla-gricia\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T10:28:13","slug":"iberian-spaghetti-alla-gricia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.viruteo.com\/en\/iberian-spaghetti-alla-gricia\/","title":{"rendered":"Iberian Spaghetti alla Gricia"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
    \n
  • 400g spaghetti (or rigatoni)<\/li>\n
  • 150 g <\/strong>shavings of Iberian ham (100 g melting + 50 g for the crunchy)<\/li>\n
  • 80 g<\/strong> finely grated Pecorino Romano (or 24 month Parmigiano Reggiano)<\/li>\n
  • 3 tablespoons<\/strong> EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)<\/li>\n
  • Freshly ground black pepper (plenty)<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n

    Step by step<\/h2>\n
    \n
      \n
    1. \n For the crispy shavings (2 min):<\/strong>
      \nIn a cold, non-stick frying pan, add the 50g of ham shavings. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until they are as crispy as guanciale. Remove them to a paper towel and reserve the rendered fat in the pan.\n <\/li>\n
    2. \n Pasta, al dente (8-10 min):<\/strong>
      \nBring a large pot of water to a boil with very little salt (keep in mind that the ham will add a fair amount of salt). Cook the spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package instructions. Very important: <\/strong>reserve about 300 ml of the cooking water before draining the pasta.\n <\/li>\n
    3. \n Emulsified sauce (3 min):<\/strong>
      \nIn the same pan where you reserved the ham fat, add the 100g of melting flakes and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and plenty of black pepper; stir for 20 seconds. Immediately pour in 150ml of the reserved cooking water and bring to a boil over high heat for 30 seconds to reduce and create a liquid emulsion.\n <\/li>\n
    4. \n Mantecatura (off the heat):<\/strong>
      \nDrain the pasta and add it directly to the pan with the emulsion. Turn off the heat or remove the pan from the stove. Add 60g of Pecorino Romano cheese and about 50ml more of the pasta water. Stir vigorously in a circular motion for 30 seconds until you have a smooth, glossy cream (without any cheese strands). If it seems to be drying out, add more pasta water one tablespoon at a time.\n <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Final assembly<\/h2>\n
      \n
        \n
      • Plate the pasta immediately, serving it hot in the shape of a nest.<\/li>\n
      • Scatter the crispy ham shavings over each plate.<\/li>\n
      • Add the remaining 20g of Pecorino cheese, a final sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \n Nonna’s tip: <\/strong>Never keep the heat on or high at the end of the process; the excess heat will curdle the Pecorino immediately, ruining the sauce. Treat the cooking water like liquid gold: its starch is the real key to achieving the perfect Italian-style sauce.\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

        Ready in just 15 minutes!<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Ingredients 400g spaghetti (or rigatoni) 150 g shavings of Iberian ham (100 g melting + 50 g for the crunchy) 80 g finely grated Pecorino Romano (or 24 month Parmigiano…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t