Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 6 ounce guanciale, cut into matchsticks
• 3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
• 2 tablespoon black pepper, coarsely ground
• 2 tablespoon sea salt

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. While water heats, cut guanciale into thin matchsticks and set aside.
3. Finely grate Pecorino Romano cheese and measure out 3 cups; set aside.
4. Coarsely grind black pepper and measure out 2 tablespoons; set aside.
5. Once water boils, add spaghetti and cook until 1 minute before al dente (about 9 minutes for most brands), stirring occasionally.
6. While pasta cooks, place guanciale in a large bowl over medium heat and cook until the fat renders and edges are slightly crispy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. When pasta is 1 minute away from al dente, reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain pasta in a colander.
8. Add the drained pasta directly to the bowl with the warm guanciale and fat.
9. Remove the bowl from heat and add the coarsely ground black pepper, stirring constantly.
10. Add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese in several batches, stirring continuously and adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time (about 1/4 cup per batch). The starch in the pasta water will emulsify the cheese and fat into a creamy sauce. Use approximately 1.5 to 2 cups of the reserved water total.
11. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If too thin, add more grated cheese.
12. Divide pasta into four bowls, ensuring each portion has guanciale pieces and creamy sauce. Serve immediately with extra black pepper and Pecorino Romano on the side.

Nutrition