Pasta alla Gricia with Artichokes GF
When Dishes Define Moments and What it Really Means to Cook Gluten-Free
There are some people whose memories revolve around what they wore, and others whose memories are defined by what they ate. The lens of individual and collective food memory is a very powerful thing with dishes, recipes, and ingredients woven into the tapestry of our history and pivotal life moments.
We found ourselves in Rome in the days leading up to Easter as we were called to attend some appointments for our daughter. This is something that I will talk about in my next post, and to be honest, I was happy for the unexpected trip for a few reasons. These appointments were due to provide some answers and relief and the timing meant the opportunity to feel the medicinal Italian Spring on my skin. If you are yet to experience an Italian Spring, it’s a good thing to consider. One of the major highlights, of course, is the food.
Rome is conducive to nostalgia, and this time around I reminisced about a Spring morning ten years ago, before we became parents, when we attended the Six Nations Rugby Championship at the Stadio Olimpico where Italy played against Ireland. We spotted the Irish team on their bus as they drove along the Tiber toward the match that Italy would go on to win. The air felt electric as we exited the stadium onto the city streets.
We seemed to gather random friends like magnets as we headed south toward Da Bucatino, a classic Roman Trattoria in Testaccio to meet our Roman pal Gianluca upon his recommendation. The moment was transformed into an unexpected afternoon of long tables, great food, and laughs. The things that some of us live for, and I was left with the memory of the warm wood-paneled vibe reminiscent of the Italian American restaurants that I would frequent as a kid, the color of the terrazzo that rested beneath our feet, and the mind-blowing artichoke dishes that graced our plates. My favorite being the grassy buttery smoke of the grilled and pressed carciofi alla piastra. We stumbled out into the waning sun with digestivo on our breaths probably smoking cigarettes and I have been obsessed with getting back to this restaurant to eat that piastra artichoke thing ever since.
So forgoing what might be the trendier Testaccio restaurants of these times, Da Bucatino is where we headed on this Roman stop to satisfy this craving now with two children in tow. To be honest, this contorno was not as amazing as I remembered it to be, but we reveled in all of the rest – pasta alla gricia with artichokes (GF), a slew of seasonal Roman vegetable sides (GF), and it was difficult not to continuously tip my fork into the sides of Riccardo’s coda alla vaccinara (GF). With the rich oxtail flavor that could easily bring a culinary tear to one’s eye. This time we tripped out of the restaurant, digestivo on our breath, with the tired children and their tiramisu-stained faces. No cigarettes involved, but particularly satisfied just like the first time. Both of these joyful and memorable dining experiences wouldn’t have been the same for myself and the others involved if I wasn’t provided the ability to enjoy this great food gluten-free.
To celebrate the fact that Italy is one of the hottest foodie destinations for those on gluten-free and alternative diets, here on Green Italian Kitchen, I will slowly compile a list of articles and reviews on where one can go in Italy to enjoy delicious food that is gluten-free, and I will call this feature Gluten Free Italy. I will also be writing about the importance of food security and quality in gluten-free dining outlining the steps that should be taken to create a safe dining experience. So many of the traditional dishes that we find in regional Italian cuisine are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free or plant-based or it takes only a few tweaks to make them this way. Italy is a trailblazer when it comes to food innovation and one of the things that they also do extremely well, is food inclusion.
After those few days in Rome, we found ourselves in Contigliano. My mother-in-law, who lives on her own, but who also delights in cooking for her family, took control of the culinary steering wheel and I was happy for her to do so. With a few intense days behind us, and questions answered, we all needed a bit of rest. As my mother-in-law Antonia moves into her 88th year, she sometimes requires a bit of support depending on the day, so when it was time to prepare lunch, I lingered in front of the fire anticipating the tag team effort that unfolded.
There are 2 ingredients that you are almost guaranteed to find in a home in Sabina throughout the year - a healthy side of guanciale and big chunk of pecorino stagionato which are two of the main stars that routinely feature in this regional culinary show. In the Springtime, you are also likely to find an obscene amount of artichokes because in Lazio they seem to rain out of the heavens. When my mother-in-law asked me the usual question, “che facciamo per pranzo?”, we somewhat unintentionally recreated the pasta alla gricia with artichokes that we had enjoyed in Rome a few days before. There were artichokes on the counter that needed to be used so it just seemed like the thing to do even if Papa Francesco was giving us the side eye from the poster on the wall for eating meat over Easter weekend (see Catholic guilt).
And so in a kitchen dance of conversing and questioning, we sliced, chopped, splashed, grated, and boiled. Two pots of water. More often than not we all sit down to enjoy a plate made with quality gluten-free pasta. This helps to avoid cross-contamination and ensures a quality and uniform finish especially when tossing the pasta with certain sauces. My mother-in-law can often be heard saying “quant'e' buona questa pasta” when it’s gluten-free, and most of the time you wouldn’t even know.
But there were fresh, regular, store-bought tonnarelli that needed to be used. So to avoid the splashes that could have contaminated this story, I cooked the fresh gluten-free tagliatelle that I had to hand in one of the boiling pots, added some of the condimento to a smaller pan which I slightly heated, and then added my cooked pasta with a toss. When I was almost finished, with my food far from the stove, my mother-in-law added the fresh tonnarelli to the already salted boiling pot of water, and with a few minutes of cooking time and another quick toss of everyone else’s pasta in the main pan, we all sat down to eat generous portions on a table cloth that has been washed at least a million times.
I will soon write with greater detail about pasta alla gricia in its purest form because there is so much more to know, but in the meantime, this is how dishes define a moment and pass through time.
Pasta alla Gricia with Artichokes GF
Pasta alla gricia con i carciofi
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
400g pasta (see notes)
150g guanciale, cut into batons
100g pecorino romano, finely grated
100 ml of dry white wine
1 garlic clove in its jacket, crushed
2 tsp rice flour, optional
2 artichokes, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 small dried red pepper, crumbled
Fresh black pepper and sea salt
METHOD:
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add the guanciale, dried red pepper, and garlic (which you have gently crushed with the side of a knife) to a medium/large sauce or frying pan. Turn on the flame and cook over medium heat until a good bit of fat is rendered, and the meat begins to crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove half of the guanciale to a side dish. Turn the heat down slightly and add your artichokes, then your white wine. When it has evaporated, turn down the heat again and ladle in a splash of hot water from the pasta pot. Sprinkle the flour over the artichokes if you wish and add another bit of hot water from the pasta pot. Cover half of the pan with a lid and gently cook over low heat until the artichokes are tender. Keep adding small ladles of hot water and gently stir if necessary taking care that the sauce doesn’t over-reduce or stick to the pan. Turn off the heat when done.
Meanwhile, salt your boiling water and cook your pasta until al dente. Gently warm the sauce over low heat when the pasta is nearly done and reserve some starchy cooking water. Drain your pasta and gently toss it directly into the pan together with 75g of the cheese, the reserved guanciale, and a splash of cooking water as needed. You want the consistency to be loose and creamy. Season to taste and serve immediately with the rest of the cheese.
NOTES:
Garlic and rice flour do not feature in a traditional gricia. The addition of a few teaspoons of rice four is optional. This advice was given to my mother-in-law by her friend Linda who is meant to be some kind of culinary goddess and teacher. It gives a creamier consistency and the garlic is there for the artichokes. The flour is not something that I normally add myself. This recipe benefits from the use of a dry white wine from Central Italy, ideally, Lazio, Abruzzo or Le Marche, and the same is recommended for drinking. As guanciale and pecorino stagionato (aged sheep’s milk cheese) have very prominent flavors, I always recommend seasoning to taste before serving as little to no salt and/or black pepper may be required. While we used Pecorino Romano, an aged pecorino from Amatrice or the Central Apennine region will do. This pasta is best enjoyed with Rigatoni, Mezze Rigatoni, Mezze Maniche, Tonnarelli, and Spaghetti.