Pasta alla grigia

Grind the black pepper on the spot and toast it in the pan for about a minute.

Add the guanciale to the toasted pepper, cook, then lift it out onto kitchen paper.

Boil the mezzimanica about 10 minutes in a large pot of water with a tablespoon of sea or rock salt.

Mix the pecorino with lots of freshly ground black pepper and pasta water, a little at a time, until it is a thick cheese ball.

Put the pasta in the pan with a splash of pasta water.

Set the pan over the pot and use the steam from below to create the cream.

Add the thick pecorino, break it up and let it melt into the pasta, with a little more pasta water.

Toss through most of the guanciale, plate, and scatter the rest over the top.