Guanciale is Italy's cured pork cheek: a fatty, peppery, unsmoked charcuterie whose fat melts in the pan and makes a true carbonara. Here is what it is, what to use instead when you have none, and how to cook it.
- It is pork cheek (guancia), salted, peppered and cured. Not smoked.
- Fattier and more aromatic than pancetta, which is belly.
- It is the ingredient of the three Roman pastas: carbonara, amatriciana, gricia.
- To replace it: unsmoked pancetta first, fresh pork belly next. Smoked lardons change the dish.
- It is cooked in a pan over a low heat, with no added fat: it releases its own.
What is guanciale?
Guanciale (pronounced "gwan-CHAH-leh") is an Italian charcuterie made from the pig's cheek, guancia in Italian. The cheek is a special cut: a hard-working muscle wrapped in thick, firm fat. Dry-salted, rubbed with pepper and spices, then cured and matured, it becomes a triangular piece, white with fat, streaked with pink, and covered in a pepper crust.
When sliced, it is mostly fat, with a band of lean. That is the point: this fat, firm when cold, melts as it cooks, releasing a flavour of pork, pepper and maturing that no other charcuterie gives. Guanciale is not smoked. It is not eaten like a ham: you cook it, cut into lardons, and it seasons the whole dish.
It comes from central Italy, from Lazio and Abruzzo, where it is the foundation of Roman cooking. Our guanciale comes from Fontanellato, near Parma, in Emilia-Romagna: pork cheek rubbed with spices and pepper, cured and matured for about three weeks.
Guanciale or pancetta: what is the difference?
They are often confused, because both are cured, unsmoked Italian charcuteries that are cut into lardons. But they are not the same cut, and above all not used in the same way: here is which one to choose for which dish.
| Criterion | Guanciale | Pancetta |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Pork cheek | Pork belly |
| Fat | Predominant, firm, renders a lot | In layers alternating with lean |
| Flavour | Deep, peppery, matured, more intense | Milder, closer to bacon |
| Cooked texture | Lardons crisp outside, melting inside | Firmer, leaner lardons |
| Use | Roman pastas, gratins, broad beans, soups | "Mild" carbonara, pizza, raw in slices |
| Eaten raw? | Yes, very thin, but it is rare | Yes, commonly, rolled and sliced |
For a carbonara, Romans do not argue: guanciale. For a dish where the charcuterie is not the star, or for a lighter version, pancetta does the job very well. Everything about it in our pancetta guide.
What can you use instead of guanciale?
No guanciale to hand? Here are the substitutes, from the most faithful to the furthest removed.
- Unsmoked pancetta, in a block, cut into lardons: the best replacement. Same family, same method, a little less fat: add a spoonful of olive oil at the start to compensate.
- Fresh pork belly or unsmoked bacon: the same cut as pancetta, but neither salted nor matured: salt the dish a little more and let it brown well.
- Plain shop-bought lardons: they will do at a pinch, but release a lot of water: brown them on their own and pour off the liquid before carrying on.
- Smoked lardons or bacon: use them knowingly: the smoke takes over and the dish changes flavour. Very good, but it is no longer a Roman carbonara.
- Speck or cured ham, in pan-fried strips: for the salty, matured note, in an improvised gricia or on a risotto. Too lean to replace the fat of guanciale.
How to cook guanciale
Remove the rind, too tough to melt (keep it for a stock). Cut the guanciale into batons half a centimetre thick, not cubes: batons stay meltingly tender in the centre. Then a cold pan, low heat, no added fat, eight to ten minutes, until the fat is translucent and the edges golden. Keep the rendered fat: it is what seasons the pasta.
The three Roman pastas
- Carbonara: guanciale, eggs, pecorino, pepper. Never any cream. The recipe is below.
- Amatriciana: guanciale, tomato, pecorino, a hint of chilli. The guanciale browned, deglazed with white wine, then the tomato.
- Gricia: guanciale, pecorino, pepper, pasta water. Carbonara without egg, its ancestor.
And elsewhere
As lardons on broad beans or peas in spring, in a pulse soup, on a white pizza straight out of the oven, or in scrambled eggs. Wherever a lardon would fit, guanciale does better.
Authentic guanciale carbonara
Serves 4. Preparation 10 minutes, cooking 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti or rigatoni
- 200 g guanciale (choose the "slices for carbonara" cut)
- 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
- 100 g finely grated pecorino (or half pecorino, half parmesan for a milder result)
- Freshly ground black pepper, generously
- No added salt, no cream, no garlic, no onion
In a block, thinly sliced or as lardons ready for carbonara. Delivered vacuum-packed to your door in 1 to 3 days.
See the guancialeMethod
- Cut the guanciale into batons. Put it in a large cold pan over a low heat and let it render for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Turn off the heat and leave the fat in the pan.
- In a bowl, whisk the yolks, the whole egg, the pecorino and plenty of pepper into a thick cream.
- Cook the pasta in lightly salted water (the guanciale and pecorino are already salty). Keep a ladle of the cooking water.
- Drain the pasta and tip it into the warm pan with the guanciale, off the heat. Toss.
- Add the egg cream and two spoonfuls of cooking water, stirring quickly: the heat of the pasta cooks the eggs without curdling them. Loosen with a little water if needed.
- Serve straight away, with a twist of pepper and a little pecorino.
How much per person, and how to store it
Allow 40 to 50 g of guanciale per person for pasta: a 200 g block makes four plates. Vacuum-packed, it keeps for several weeks in the fridge; once opened, ten to fifteen days in a clean cloth. It freezes very well, already cut into lardons, in 50 g portions.
FAQ
What exactly is guanciale?
It is salted, peppered and cured pork cheek: an unsmoked Italian charcuterie, very fatty, with a deep flavour. Its name comes from guancia, the cheek. It is the key ingredient of authentic carbonara, amatriciana and gricia.
What can I use instead of guanciale?
Unsmoked pancetta, cut into lardons: it is the closest substitute. Failing that, fresh pork belly or unsmoked bacon. Smoked lardons and bacon change the flavour of the dish, as the smoke takes over.
Guanciale or pancetta for carbonara?
Guanciale, if you can find it: its fat renders more and flavours the sauce. Pancetta makes a milder, leaner carbonara, which is very good too. Never any cream in either case.
Can you eat guanciale raw?
Yes, in very thin slices, like lardo di Colonnata: it is a cured and matured charcuterie, not fresh meat. It is, however, better pan-fried, when its fat turns translucent and crisp.
Where can I find guanciale in Belgium or France?
Rarely in supermarkets. You will find it in Italian delis, at some cheese and charcuterie shops and online. La Dent du Chat sells it in its shop in Ixelles (Brussels) and delivers it vacuum-packed in 1 to 3 days in Belgium, France and Luxembourg.
How should guanciale be stored?
Vacuum-packed, several weeks in the fridge. Once opened, 10 to 15 days wrapped in a clean cloth somewhere cool. Cut into lardons, it freezes very well in portions.
Guanciale, sliced in Ixelles
Our guanciale from Fontanellato, in a block, thinly sliced or as lardons ready for carbonara, with the pecorino and parmesan to go with it. Delivered vacuum-packed in 1 to 3 days in Belgium, France and Luxembourg.