Garganelli with Guanciale Ragù & Crema di Pecorino Romano
A rich, Roman-leaning pasta built on rendered guanciale and pork shoulder, finished with a silky whipped Pecorino cream. The garganelli’s ridged, rolled shape holds the ragù beautifully in every hollow.
Yield note: Pasta dough and ragù quantities are independent — the dough yields a larger batch; assembly is written per 50g portion of garganelli.
Components
- Garganelli
- Guanciale Ragù
- Crema di Pecorino Romano PDO
- Assembly
1. Garganelli
| Ingredient |
Weight |
| 00 flour |
211 g |
| Whole eggs, room temperature |
2 |
| Egg yolks, room temperature |
3 |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
5 g |
| Semolina flour |
for dusting |
Method
- Add the 00 flour to a mixing bowl and form a small well in the center.
- Using a fork, gradually incorporate the eggs, yolks, and olive oil into the well until the dough begins to come together.
- Switch to your hands and knead until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Transfer to a porous surface and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and bounces back when pressed.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Dust a sheet tray with semolina and set aside.
- Divide the rested dough into four equal portions. Roll each through a pasta machine to the second thinnest setting.
- Cut into 1.5-inch squares.
- Starting at the corner closest to you, roll each square around a thin dowel or the back of a pencil, pressing firmly to seal and join the ends.
- Transfer to the semolina-dusted tray, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
The ridged surface of garganelli — made by rolling over a gnocchi board or ridged paddle — is ideal for catching the ragù. If you don’t have one, a fork works in a pinch.
2. Guanciale Ragù
| Ingredient |
Base |
Scaled to 1kg pork |
| Guanciale, ground |
300 g |
1 kg |
| Yellow onion, minced |
50 g |
165 g |
| Celery, minced |
50 g |
165 g |
| Carrot, minced |
50 g |
165 g |
| Tomato paste |
30 g |
100 g |
| White wine |
75 ml |
250 ml |
| Pork shoulder, ground |
300 g |
1 kg |
| Low-sodium chicken stock |
200 g |
665 g |
| Sea salt |
to taste |
to taste |
| Ground black pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
Method
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, render the guanciale until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving all the fat in the pan.
- Add the minced vegetables to the rendered fat and cook until the carrots are slightly browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste and continue cooking until the carrots are deeply browned and the paste has caramelized.
- Deglaze with the white wine and cook until nearly evaporated.
- Reduce heat. Stir in the ground pork shoulder, chicken stock, and the reserved crispy guanciale.
- Simmer on low for 2 hours, or until the ragù reaches your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
The guanciale renders first on its own so the fat becomes the cooking medium for everything that follows. This is the backbone of the ragù’s flavor — don’t rush or skip the browning stages.
3. Crema di Pecorino Romano PDO
| Ingredient |
Weight |
| Heavy cream |
100 g |
| Pecorino Romano PDO, finely grated |
60 g |
Method
- In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the cream to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the Pecorino Romano.
- Blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Transfer to an iSi whipped cream canister with two charges and set aside.
At home without an iSi canister: simply keep the crema warm and spoon it on. The texture will be more like a sauce than a foam, but the flavor is identical. If it thickens too much on standing, whisk in a small splash of warm cream to loosen.
4. Assembly & Plating
Per serving
| Ingredient |
Weight |
| Garganelli |
50 g |
| Guanciale ragù |
30 g |
| Pasta water, reserved |
as needed |
| Extra virgin olive oil |
5 g |
| Crema di Pecorino Romano PDO |
3 dots |
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Cook the garganelli for 3 minutes, or until just al dente. Strain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, bring the ragù to a boil.
- Add the cooked garganelli and toss for 30 seconds until liberally coated. Add pasta water as needed to loosen.
- Transfer to a warm serving bowl.
- Drizzle with EVOO.
- Finish with 3 dots of Crema di Pecorino Romano PDO.
Timing Overview
| Step |
Time |
| Make & rest pasta dough |
30 min rest + rolling |
| Guanciale ragù |
2 hours |
| Crema di Pecorino |
~10 min |
| Assembly per portion |
~5 min |