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| Course | Primo (Italian pasta course) |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Lazio |
| Main ingredients | Guanciale, pecorino romano , black pepper |
Pasta alla gricia is a pasta dish originating in the Lazio region of Italy. [1]
According to one hypothesis, the name of the dish derives from the Romanesco word gricio. In papal Rome, the grici were sellers of common foods, [2] and got this name because many of them came from Valtellina, at that time possession of the Swiss canton of Grigioni. [2] Pasta alla gricia then would mean pasta prepared with the simple ingredients (guanciale, pecorino romano , and black pepper) readily available at the local gricio.
Another theory about the origin of this dish claims that it was invented in the hamlet Grisciano, in the region of Lazio, near Amatrice. Buccini (2007) argues that this theory is more probably correct, citing a name spaghetti anna machiciana from the 1920s, referring to the neighboring region of Le Marche. The name would have started as alla grisciana, then modified to alla gricia to fit the occupational theme of carbonara and carrettiera. [3] It should be also noticed that in Amatrice as late as the 1960s, amatriciana sauce was prepared without tomato, therefore coinciding with gricia. [4] Due to this reason, gricia is also named "amatriciana bianca".
Pasta alla gricia is a member of a family of four basic Roman pasta dishes, along with bucatini alla amatriciana , spaghetti alla carbonara , and spaghetti alla carrettiera . [3]
Media related to Pasta alla gricia at Wikimedia Commons 
Pasta alla Gricia (Pasta with Guanciale) at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject
Pecorino romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk, often used for grating over pasta or other dishes. The name pecorino simply means 'ovine' or 'of sheep' in Italian; the name of the cheese, although protected, is a description rather than a brand: [formaggio] pecorino romano simply means 'sheep's [cheese] of Rome'.
Spaghetti is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta. It is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine. Like other pasta, spaghetti is made of milled wheat, water, and sometimes enriched with vitamins and minerals. Italian spaghetti is typically made from durum-wheat semolina. Usually the pasta is white because refined flour is used, but whole wheat flour may be added. Spaghettoni is a thicker form of spaghetti, while spaghettini is a thinner form. Capellini is a very thin spaghetti, while vermicelli refers to intermediate thicknesses.
Tomato sauce can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish, rather than as a condiment. Tomato sauces are common for meat and vegetables, but they are perhaps best known as bases for sauces for Mexican salsas and Italian pasta dishes. Tomatoes have a rich flavor, high water content, soft flesh which breaks down easily, and the right composition to thicken into a sauce when stewed, without the need for thickeners such as roux or masa. All of these qualities make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces.
Sicilian cuisine is the style of cooking on the island of Sicily. It shows traces of all cultures that have existed on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine has much in common with Italian cuisine, Sicilian food also has Greek, Spanish, French, Jewish, Maghrebi, and Arab influences.
Lasagna, also known as lasagne, is a type of pasta, possibly one of the oldest types, made in very wide, flat sheets. In Italian cuisine it is made of stacked layers of pasta alternating with fillings such as ragù, béchamel sauce, vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings and spices. The dish may be topped with grated cheese, which melts during baking. Typically cooked pasta is assembled with the other ingredients and then baked in an oven. The resulting baked pasta is cut into single-serving square or rectangular portions.
Carbonara is a pasta dish made with fatty cured pork, hard cheese, eggs, salt, and black pepper. It is typical of the Lazio region of Italy. The dish took its modern form and name in the middle of the 20th century.
Linguine is a type of Italian pasta similar to fettuccine and trenette, but elliptical in section rather than flat. It is about 4 millimetres in width, which is wider than spaghetti, but not as wide as fettuccine. Linguine was traditionally served with sauces such as pesto, but others such as tomato or fish based sauces are popular as well.
Arrabbiata sauce, known in Italian as sugo all'arrabbiata, is a spicy sauce for pasta made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. The sauce originates from the Lazio region of Italy, and particularly from the city of Rome.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a pasta dish invented in the Italian city of Naples in the mid-20th century and made typically with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, peperoncino, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.
Amatriciana sauce, known in Italian as sugo all'amatriciana or as salsa all'amatriciana, is a pasta sauce made with tomatoes, guanciale, pecorino romano cheese, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, dry white wine, and salt. Originating in the comune (municipality) of Amatrice, the amatriciana is one of the best known pasta sauces in present-day Roman and Italian cuisine. The Italian government has named it a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT) of Lazio, and amatriciana tradizionale is registered as a traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) in the EU and the UK.
Guanciale is an Italian salt-cured meat product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks. Its name is derived from guancia, meaning 'cheek'. Its rendered fat gives flavour to and thickens the sauce of pasta dishes.
Spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian-American pasta dish consisting of spaghetti, tomato sauce, and meatballs.
Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its kingdoms, such as that of Aragon and France.
Spaghetti aglio e olio is a pasta dish typical of the Italian city of Naples, in the Campania region. Its popularity can be attributed to it being simple to prepare and the fact that it makes use of inexpensive, readily available ingredients that have long shelf lives in a pantry.
Roman cuisine comes from the Italian city of Rome. It features fresh, seasonal and simply-prepared ingredients from the Roman Campagna. These include peas, globe artichokes and fava beans, shellfish, milk-fed lamb and goat, and cheeses such as pecorino romano and ricotta. Olive oil is used mostly to dress raw vegetables, while strutto and fat from prosciutto are preferred for frying. The most popular sweets in Rome are small individual pastries called pasticcini, gelato and handmade chocolates and candies. Special dishes are often reserved for different days of the week; for example, gnocchi is eaten on Thursdays, baccalà on Fridays, and trippa on Saturdays.
Cacio e pepe is a pasta dish typical of the Lazio region of Italy. Cacio e pepe means 'cheese and pepper' in several central Italian dialects. The dish contains grated pecorino romano and black pepper with tonnarelli or spaghetti. The origins are believed to be that shepherds from the pastoral communities of Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany, and Umbria created cacio e pepe in the 18th or 19th century. All the ingredients keep well for a long time, which made the dish practical for shepherds without a fixed abode.
The traditional cuisine of Abruzzo is eclectic, drawing on pastoral, mountain, and coastal cuisine. Staples of Abruzzo cuisine include bread, pasta, meat, fish, cheese, and wine. The isolation which has characterized the region for centuries has ensured the independence of its culinary tradition from those of nearby regions. Local cuisine was widely appreciated in a 2013 survey among foreign tourists.
