The most important thing about creamy linguine with guanciale in 30 seconds
- Preparation time: about 20 minutes
- Difficulty: Simply
- The special: The tomato sauce is made creamy by pureed mozzarella, without a drop of cream.
- Perfect for: stressful evenings when you want something warm and hearty to be on the table quickly.
Creamy Linguine with Guanciale is a quick, Italian-inspired pasta dish made with tomatoes, rich guanciale and fresh mozzarella. The sauce gets its creaminess not from cream, but from the cheese, which is pureed with the tomatoes. Everything is ready in about 20 minutes.
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When the evening is short and you’re hungry
Creamy linguine with guanciale will save your evening when time is short and you still want something warm on the table. Last Wednesday was such an evening. We came back from our kid’s playdate, everyone tired, everyone hungry, and I honestly didn’t feel like cooking anymore. So there was what I always do in moments like this: tomatoes, guanciale, a pan. I actually had my Pasta Amatriciana in mind, with the chili flakes it went a bit towards my version of Pasta Arrabbiata. The only thing that was different this time was the mozzarella, which I quickly added to the hot sauce and pureed. Suddenly everything was creamy, almost like cream, just not cream. As uncomplicated as my pasta with oven-roasted tomatoes and mozzarella, but with that rich depth from the guanciale. I’ve been cooking it all the time since then.
The most important ingredients for creamy linguine with guanciale
Good creamy linguine with guanciale depends on two things: good guanciale and fresh mozzarella to bind the sauce. The rest is storage cupboard.
Guanciale – The air-dried pork cheek is the flavor carrier here. Its high fat content melts when left out and gives the sauce a depth that you can’t get with normal bacon. Have a thicker piece cut off at the deli counter so you can roll the dice yourself. Alternatively, pancetta works great or good bacon.
Linguine – The flat, slightly oval shape absorbs creamy sauces better than round spaghetti. Of course, fettuccine or tagliatelle also works, but linguine is my favorite for this sauce.
Pureed tomatoes (passata) – The base of the sauce. Go for a good Italian passata, it has a much rounder taste than the cheap one from the tetrapak. Canned tomatoes work the same way. You can find out more about the difference in my strained tomatoes – rustic or finely strained.
Fresh mozzarella – The secret star. When pureed, it transforms the tomato sauce into something creamy, without any cream. Take a classic scoop, whether it’s buffalo or cow’s milk.
Garlic – Two cloves, freshly chopped. Frying briefly is enough, you don’t want it to brown.
basil – Half goes into the sauce, the rest fresh on top. Makes the difference between okay and really good.
Parmesan – Freshly grated for serving. Because of the salty guanciale, it’s better to be cautious when salting and season to taste at the end.
This means your creamy linguine with guanciale is guaranteed to be a success
The most important success factor: Only puree the mozzarella once the pot is off the stove. At full heat it flocculates or forms strings, but with the residual heat it melts softly into the sauce and binds it into a creamy consistency.
Three points that make the difference:
- Leave out guanciale without oil. Place in a dry pan over medium heat, then the fat will come out and become a flavor carrier for the whole sauce. Anyone who treats guanciale like a carbonara already knows the principle, see my spaghetti carbonara.
- Cook pasta for a minute less. The linguine will soak in the sauce. Toss them directly in it so that the noodles and sauce combine instead of just lying next to each other on the plate.
- Salt wisely. Guanciale and Parmesan add a lot of salt. Taste only at the end.
What makes our recipe different: no cream, but still creamy. And guanciale instead of bacon, that’s all the magic. My little extra tip: Fish out a few of the crispy guanciale cubes before pureeing and sprinkle them over the pasta at the end. But: put it aside, otherwise Benni will secretly eat it beforehand.
📖 Recipe
Creamy linguine with guanciale and mozzarella
Preparation time
5 minutes
Cooking time
20 minutes
Total time
25 minutes
🥕 Ingredients for the recipe
- 250 G Linguine or fettuccine
- 1 EL olive oil If necessary, leave it out with the Thermomix or depending on the fat content of the guanciale
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 Toes Garlic
- 100 G Guanciale diced or cut into fine strips
- ¼ TL Chili flakes optional
- 500 ml Italian passata pureed tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes
- 125 G Mozzarella Cow or buffalo milk
- pepper
- Salt
- Parmesan for serving
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Bring a large pot of water to the boil, season with salt and add the linguine. Cook for a minute less than indicated on the package (approx. 7-10 minutes).
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Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, crisp up the guanciale without additional oil. Add the finely chopped garlic and chilli flakes (if using) and fry for 1 minute.
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Add half the basil and the tomatoes. Bring to the boil briefly, then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the pasta is almost done.
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Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the mozzarella roughly with your hands and puree everything with a hand blender (or in a stand mixer) until smooth and creamy. The cheese melts due to the residual heat and binds the sauce until it is creamy.
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Return the sauce to low heat. Add the drained linguine and the remaining roughly torn basil directly into the sauce and toss briefly until everything is hot and well combined.
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Serve immediately and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
Preparation in the Thermomix® (with guanciale from the pan)
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Cook the linguine on the stove in plenty of salted water until al dente (1 minute less than the package instructions). At the same time, let the guanciale cubes crisp up in a pan over medium heat without oil, then remove the pan from the heat.
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Place the garlic cloves in the mixing bowl, chop 3 seconds/speed 5 and push down with the spatula.
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Add the garlic to the mixing bowl along with the rendered guanciale and fat from the pan (and optionally the chili flakes). Sauté 3 min. / 120 °C (or Varoma) / reverse rotation / speed 1.
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Add the tomatoes, half the basil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes / 100 °C / counterclockwise / level 1.
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Roughly tear the fresh mozzarella into pieces and add it to the hot sauce. Puree everything gradually increasing for 20-30 seconds / speed 5-8 until smooth and creamy.
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Either stir in the drained, hot linguine and the remaining torn basil directly in the mixing bowl for 1 min. / 90 °C / anti-clockwise / gentle mixer setting or mix the sauce with the pasta in a large bowl.
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Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan.
Tip for more texture: Remove a few of the crispy guanciale pieces before pureeing and sprinkle over the finished pasta at the very end.
Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 60G | Protein: 20G | Fat: 27G | Sugar: 9G
Frequently asked questions about creamy linguine with guanciale
Pancetta is the best substitute, alternatively streaky bacon. Both are milder and leaner than guanciale, so add a little more olive oil and cook more slowly to render enough fat for the sauce.
Guanciale is made from the pork cheek, pancetta from the belly. Guanciale has significantly more fat and a more intense aroma, which is why it is the first choice for creamy sauces without cream.
The fresh mozzarella does it. You add it to the hot sauce and puree everything together. The melted cheese and the fat from the guanciale thicken the sauce, without any cream.
Yes. Spaghetti, fettuccine or short pasta like rigatoni all work. Linguine just absorbs the sauce particularly well.
Most of the time the heat is too high. Before pureeing, take the pot off the heat and let the sauce cool down a bit, then the cheese will melt evenly instead of curdling.
Would you like to cook again?
If you’re having one of those nights where you just have to do something quick, try out this creamy linguine with guanciale. They have become our secret standard dish in the last few weeks, and that’s exactly what a recipe like this is for. If you’re still craving a second quick pasta, check out my Creamy Pasta with Pancetta and Peas. And if you cook it: Feel free to show me on Instagram at @gernekochen, I’m really happy about every plate you send me.
Lose and taste good.
In Life 1.0, Ms. Gernekochen is a teacher at a comprehensive school with a lot of love for her job.
On Gernekochen.de she is the boss or rather the boss of the camera. Theres took all the photos you find here (with very few exceptions). Since she’s not even remotely busy, she takes care of the appearance on Pinterest.
She is also the face in Instagram Stories and enriches our content with many delicious recipes.
Her preferences lie in Italian cuisine. But cakes and pastries of all kinds or braised dishes, such as their unsurpassed goulash, are also among their hobbyhorses.
