In part one of this week's Three Course Meal, we gave you a look at Julian Barsotti, owner and executive chef of Nonna. In part two, we asked Barsotti to complete our thoughts for us. In today's final installment he shares a recipe for Fussilli alla Gricia.
Barsotti says, it's "one of the wonderful Roman pasta sauces. It's less famous than carbonara or amatriciana, but equally satisfying and easy to make at home. Also, fussilli is not necessary to the dish. Any high quality, boxed semolina pasta would be great including spaghetti, rigatoni, bucatini..."
Fussilli alla Gricia 1 lb. fussilli 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced 6 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cut in 1/4-inch ribbons 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano, plus extra for garnish 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley for garnish
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add fusilli.
2. Meanwhile, place a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, guanciale and caramelize. Add onion and cook until soft and barely brown. Remove from heat.
3. When pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Transfer pasta to skillet, place over medium-low heat and toss with guanciale and onion. Season generously with fresh cracked black pepper, fold in pasta, water and cheese. Toss, adding more pasta water as needed to help cheese coat pasta. Serve with more grated pecorino and chopped parsley.
