GRICIA WITH ARTICHOKES

GRICIA CON CARCIOFI

Hello friends! I would like to share this recipe for gricia with artichokes with you. Our ingredients and way to prepare food in Italy may be a little different from what you’re used to in your own country, but I will do my best to translate them for you. I want to let you taste Amedeo’s authentic Roman cuisine. His most famous dish is pasta alla gricia with artichokes. He told me this secret: to have a good gricia you must use cheek lard. Not bacon. It’s worth the effort, trust me!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients (for 4 serves)                                       

• 8 ounces cheek lard (guanciale)
• 200 gr di guanciale                                            
• ½ tbs finely ground black pepper
• pepe nero q.b.
• ¾pound tonnarelli or  spaghetti
• 400 gr di tonnarelli o spaghetti
• 1  cup finely grated pecorino Romano
• 150 gr di pecorino romano
• 4 artichokes
• 4 carciofi
• 8 Tbs olive oil
• olio d'oliva q.b.
• salt
• sale

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the cheek lard, cut into strips, and cook until crisp.

Prendete il guanciale e tagliatelo a striscioline, poi mettetelo in una grande  padella con l’olio e lasciatelo dorare fin quando non diventerà croccante.

In a large sauté pan add the olive oil and  the artichokes ,   slice side down, making sure they lie flat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.

In una padella versate dell’olio e i carciofi tagliati a fettine. Aggiustate il sale e il pepe e lasciate cuocere 10 minuti

When the water boils, cook the pasta until it’s al dente.

Quando l’acqua bolle, versate la pasta e scolatela al dente.

When the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it to the pan with the cheek lard and the artichokes . Stir the pasta as it finishes cooking, adding more pasta cooking water if necessary until the pasta is done and the sauce is thick and creamy. Add the cheese and a pinch of pepper, and stir vigorously to mix.

Quando la pasta è cotta , versatela nella padella con il guanciale e i carciofi, lasciatela insaporire qualche minuto. Se si asciuga troppo aggiungete un po’ di acqua di cottura.  Poi conditela con il pecorino, mescolate il tutto e aggiungete una spolverata di pepe.