Ingredients
The following ingredients have 6 Servings
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 400 gm (5 cups) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- 320 gm guanciale (see note), cut into lardons
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 litre (4 cups) tomato passata
- 500 gm dried rigatoni
Instruction
- Dry-roast peppercorns in a small frying pan over low heat, swirling until very fragrant (4-5 minutes). Cool then coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle. Combine with Pecorino Romano.
- Cook guanciale in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and guanciale is crisp (7 minutes). Drain guanciale on paper towels, leaving 2 tbsp fat in the pan and reserving 1 tbsp fat separately.
- Add vinegar to pan and cook until evaporated (1 minute), then add tomato passata and simmer until thickened (15 minutes).
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until just short of al dente (2-3 minutes less than cooking time on packet). Drain, reserving a few cups of pasta water.
- Add pasta to the sauce, increase heat to high and cook, stirring constantly and adding pasta water as needed to keep pan from getting dry, until al dente (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, then stir in reserved fat, half the guanciale and a handful of pecorino mixture. Add most of the remaining pecorino mixture, stirring constantly and loosening the sauce with a small ladleful of pasta water at a time as needed, until sauce is coating the pasta. Serve topped with remaining guanciale and pecorino mixture.
