Description
Chef Anna Aliteris twist on a classic: Szechuan peppercorns and guanciale give this Roman pasta dish a spicy kick.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lbs (454 g) dry or fresh egg-free pasta, rigatoni preferred
- 3/4 cup pecorino romano cheese snow
- 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano snow
- 1 whole egg
- 4 egg yolks
- 8 oz (227 g) guanciale (cured pork cheeks) cut into lardons (tiny strips or cubes)
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 tsp green Szechuan peppercorn oil
- Chili crisp
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Mix both cheeses, whole eggs, and egg yolks in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook your pasta until al dente; reserve 3 cups of pasta water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed pan on low heat, saute guanciale until fat is rendered and lardons begin to crisp (about 15 minutes).
- Remove guanciale from the pan with a slotted spoon, keeping about 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.
- In the remaining fat, add Szechuan peppercorn oil and crushed black peppercorns. Toast until pepper is fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Add cooked pasta to the pan with pepper, fat, and 1 cup of pasta water. Cook on high heat until desired pasta doneness, adding more pasta water as it evaporates. The finished pasta should look very glossy.
- Remove pasta from heat completely.
- Add egg and cheese mix and stir vigorously until the sauce is homogeneous and silky. Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick; if too thin, return the pan to low heat and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add the pork back to the pan and stir.
- Top with chili crisp and serve immediately.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, use high-quality pecorino romano and parmigiano-reggiano cheeses.
- If guanciale is unavailable, substitute pancetta or thick-cut bacon, but be aware the flavor will differ.
- To prevent the sauce from becoming too thick, keep some pasta water nearby and add a tablespoon at a time as needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 700
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 45
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Unsaturated Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 250