Gricia is the fourth Roman pasta: rigatoni tossed in a sauce of crisp guanciale, rendered fat, grated pecorino romano and cracked black pepper. Often called the carbonara without the egg.

The gricia is the oldest of the four Roman pastas, predating tomatoes (and thus amatriciana) by centuries. The dish takes its name either from Grisciano, a hamlet near Amatrice in the Lazio mountains, or from the grici, the bread merchants who supplied flour and pasta to Roman trattorias before unification. The recipe is guanciale, pecorino, black pepper and pasta water with no tomato. The rigatoni shape (or in some kitchens mezze maniche) catches the pecorino emulsion in its ridges. Flavio al Velavevodetto, Trattoria Pennestri and Felice a Testaccio all serve canonical versions; the dish is considered the Roman pasta technique's purest test.

4 editor picks for Rigatoni alla gricia in Rome, ranked by editorial score. All Rome signature dishes · Rigatoni alla gricia across every city.