Cut the rind off the guanciale and cut the meat into strips of about 0.5 × 1 × 3 cm. Finely grate the pecorino and crush the pepper coarsely.

Ingredients

• 320 gPasta, dry, unenriched
• 200 gPork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, jowl, raw
• 60 gCheese, romano
• 2 gSpices, pepper, black
• 630 mlBeverages, water, tap, drinking
• 2.4 lBeverages, water, tap, drinking not counted – removed
• 2 gSalt, table editorial addition

Method

1. Cut the rind off the guanciale and cut the meat into strips of about 0.5 × 1 × 3 cm. Finely grate the pecorino and crush the pepper coarsely.
2. Put the guanciale into a cold, wide pan without any fat and render it over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes until golden with crisp edges. Lift the strips onto a plate with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan.
3. Bring 3 litres of water with 20 g of salt to the boil and cook the rigatoni 2–3 minutes less than the packet says (usually 9–10 minutes). Set aside about 200 ml of the pasta water and drain the rigatoni.
4. Tip the rigatoni into the pan with the fat, add 100 ml of pasta water and toss over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until al dente and the water and fat have come together into a light, glossy emulsion.
5. Take the pan off the heat, let it cool for a moment and stir in 40 g of the pecorino and the pepper in portions, with a spoonful of pasta water if needed, so the sauce stays creamy and the cheese does not clump. Finally stir in the guanciale and serve at once, sprinkled with the remaining pecorino.