Pasta alla Gricia with Slivered Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredientes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 ounces guanciale or pancetta, diced or chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces spaghetti, fettuccine, or tagliatelle

1 pound sugar snap peas, strings pulled off, peas very thinly sliced on a sharp angle (so they're almost shredded)

6 tablespoons Cacio e Pepe Butter

Pecorino Romano cheese, for grating

Instruções

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt until it tastes like the sea.

Step 2

Put guanciale and 2 tsp. olive oil into a skillet or Dutch oven that's large enough to hold all the pasta. Cook until it's lightly crisped and most of the fat has rendered out, 9 to 12 minutes. Take skillet off the heat and spoon off fat except for about 1 tbsp.

Step 3

When water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions until almost al dente. When pasta is almost ready, add snap peas to pasta pot.

Step 4

Put skillet back over medium heat to reheat guanciale gently. With a ladle or a measuring cup, scoop out about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and snap peas and add them to skillet along with cacio e pepe butter. Toss well to incorporate, adding a few drops of pasta water in order to make a cloaking, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper, though you probably won't need any.

Step 5

Transfer to serving bowls and top with grated pecorino. Serve right away.

Notas

very simple Roman pasta dish of guanciale and pecorino with very thinly sliced snap pea.