Exploring the Origins of Gritcho Pasta

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Gritcho pasta, also known as Greek-e-chuh, precedes carbonara as the OG shepherd's pasta. This traditional dish is made with pepper, pecorino, and guanciale, which is cured pork jowl. Unlike carbonara, Greek-e-chuh does not contain eggs and is tossed with pasta cooked in white wine. The guanciale in this dish is described as meaty with crispy edges, complemented by pecorino and whole peppercorns. Gritcho is considered an outstanding pasta dish, being one of the best in Italy, reflecting the origins of pastoral culinary traditions in the Italian countryside later migrating to urban cities.

This week we're featuring an episode from The Sporkful's series on the creation of "Anything's Pastable," Dan Pashman's new pasta cookbook.

Dan talks with Roman about how this massive project came to be and all the design decisions required to put together a cookbook.

And then, in part two of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes — and to learn about the evolution of pasta more broadly. He starts in Rome, where food writer Katie Parla reveals a shocking truth about pasta. Then an Italian food historian challenges Dan’s thinking about carbonara. Finally, he heads south to meet a chef who was there when a regional specialty called spaghetti all’assassina (“assassin’s spaghetti”) was invented. All of this leads Dan to wonder: What does evolution look like in a food culture that’s so often depicted in sepia tones? And what’s his place in that process?

Preorder Dan’s cookbook today (including signed copies), and see if he’s visiting a city near you on his tour of book signings and live podcast tapings with special guests! Follow Dan on Instagram to see photos and videos from the Anything’s Pastable journey.

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