Pasta alla gricia with crisp pancetta and pecorino
The carbonara's older cousin: crisp pancetta, black pepper and pecorino with no cream and no egg.
- Time30 mins
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.72 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Boil the rigatoni in salted water for the packet time, saving a mugful of water.
11 min - 2
Fry the pancetta in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 8 minutes until the fat runs and the edges are crisp.
8 min - 3
Add the pepper and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
0 min 30 s - 4
Add a ladle of pasta water to the pan, then the drained rigatoni. Toss for 1 minute.
- 5
Take off the heat, add most of the pecorino and toss hard, adding splashes of water until creamy.
- 6
Serve with the rest of the cheese on top.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.