As with so many classic Italian dishes, the story of pasta alla gricia is one of unclear and often disputed origin. Pasta alla gricia is sometimes called amatriciana bianca (lit. white amatriciana), which reflects the common root of these two pasta dishes, though gricia is known to be older than the tomato-based amatriciana sauce.
Moreover, gricia is said to have originated in Grisciano, a small hamlet not far from Amatrice, the birthplace of spaghetti all'amatriciana. These two mountain towns nestled in the Apennine peaks between the neighboring regions of Lazio and Abruzzo have long been known as home to semi-nomadic shepherds, who were often credited with inventing this simple sauce.
While tending herds during their long months of transhumance, the shepherds used guanciale (cured pork jowl) and tangy pecorino cheese tossed with pasta to prepare quick and humble meals like cacio e unto (lit. cheese and lard), as gricia sauce was once called.